Destiny Child
by fLuTe-chan
Summary: Athrun has always known himself to be the only child of Patrick and Lenore Zala. What he doesn't know is that Destiny has other plans for the Zala family... plans that were twisted by Naturals and Coordinators alike.
1. Awakening

_And so, IT begins…_

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

February 14, C.E. 70

Her eyebrows twitched.

She was feeling uneasy. It was like _something huge_ is about to happen yet she didn't know what. The computer terminal that perpetually monitored her started scribbling hundreds of jagged lines on the monitor, drawing the attention of the two lab assistants, Michael Holes and Brian Cowell, who are on duty.

By that many extreme jagged lines running through the monitor at the same time, it would mean that there is something wrong with her. They approached the computer terminal immediately and started hitting on the keyboards to determine the cause. When all enquires, _except one_, returned to naught, indicating that both her brain and body is functioning well, they decided to turn to her directly for the answers. "What's wrong?"

Then they stand back and stared at the replying monitor that interprets her brain waves.

Approximately ten seconds passed before they realized she has no intention to respond at all. The two lab assistants looked at each other in question. It was apparent she has a problem, most likely an emotional one, as the computer stated, but she wasn't telling.

They decided to probe further.

"Please tell us." Brian probed.

The monitor remained blank.

"It's important we should know what's going on with you. Please." Brian said, not giving up.

Still, the monitor that linked her with them remained blank. But barely five seconds later, slow wavy lines started forming across the screen. The two quickly set to decode it and it read 'Where is Gladys?'

"Dr. Whitley is attending an important meeting today. She won't come today. You can tell us your problem."

There was another five seconds hesitation before she responds again. 'Samantha?'

"She has a test to study. She won't be here today too. You can tell us your problem. We can help you."

Silence was their answer.

"I think we better give Dr. Whitley a call." Brian suggested upon turning away from the now stagnant screen.

Michael nodded in agreement. As they shuffled to their duties, her head started throbbing. The _something_ _huge_ she felt is about to happen… anytime… soon.

Her body began to feel light, so light that even the slightest movement proved to be a challenge. The mouth tried to speak, but the throat was so dry, nothing came out of it. The mumblings close to her were muffled, as if her ears were covered with a layer of plastic.

"She isn't answering. Perhaps she switched her cellular phone to silent mode for the meeting. But I've informed the others." Brian informed, and placed the receiver back on the phone attached on the wall.

"So what are we going to do now? The lines are getting extreme by the second!" Michael exclaimed.

The screen that monitored her began drawing fast jagged lines that started to look like vertical thin lines, a sign that she was getting emotionally unstable. She also started fidgeting, a sight that the lab assistants never saw before.

Michael started panicking. "What's wrong with her? Why is she moving? She's not supposed to move!"

"Chill, Michael!" Brian snapped, and began pounding on the keyboards to calm her down but the lines just got all the more jagged.

It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. Something within her was closing in on her, suffocating her. Something within her suddenly strikes her like a bolt of lighting across a dark horizon with an unimaginable **BOOM!**

Her eyes snapped open at the deadly explosion she heard in her head and the two lab assistants in front of her jumped.

"She's awake!" Michael cried out, dropping his pen and analysis report in his hands.

"Shit! It couldn't be!" Brian mumbled, faltering.

She sucked in mouth after mouth of breath, her emerald pearls scanning aimlessly around at the same time feeling this unknown anguish coursing through every nerve of her body. Tears started flowing uncontrollably down her flushed cheeks.

The two of them lunged to pin her down, arms and legs, when she started to move. A moment of disorientation stuck her when their grips became downright painful. Her heart pounded furiously against her bare naked chest when she suddenly found infinite strength to resist their confinement. She struggled free, punched and elbowed the two, and lunged for her way out, tearing the tubes plastered on her body as she goes. She yelped out in pain and faltered when she felt the tearing but nonetheless, searches for the escape with her frantic emerald eyes. But when she saw everything around her was white, white and white, her hysteria doubled. She whirled around instinctively only to see her captors getting to their feet.

Michael was rubbing his nose disdainfully whilst Brian held out her hand to her.

"Calm down, girl. Just take it easy." Brian cajoled at the same time advancing his way slowly towards her. "We will not hurt you."

Her uncertain emerald eyes flickers from one lab assistant to another as she stepped back, her instinct warning her it was a lie.

Michael glared at her. "You damned Coordinators…"

A frown crossed her delicate face at the remark. Coordinators? What the hell?

"Michael!" Brian barked, willing his colleague with his desperate eyes not to utter provoking words. After all, their experiment looked unstable enough to commit the unimaginable.

And they can't afford to lose her, for she is _the mother_ of all the experiments they have been conducting.

Brian turned his attention back to her, looking at her straight in the eyes. "We will not hurt you." He repeated, and stretches his hand further towards her. "Now, give me your hand."

She narrowed her eyes and stepped back further instead, hands clasped together at her bared naked chest, which was barely concealed by her knee-length tousled violet hair.

Upon seeing her contrary reaction, Brian changes his moves. He throws his hands up as if in surrender. "Ok! Just stay where you are! Just stay where you are."

For a moment, the three of them stood unmoved in a triangle. But she perked up when she caught the flickering of their eyes behind her. She whirled around and startled herself as well as the three other lab assistants behind her. All of them started to pounce on her at the same time. She was locked on the neck, the arms and the legs within seconds. She struggled, but they proved to be stronger. She screamed, but was immediately gagged.

A shadow loomed over her and she ceased her struggling with her head shot up.

Michael was having this nasty smirk while holding up a syringe in his hands.

Somehow, it dawned on her that the syringe in his hands was a bad thing – That it was going to harm her.

Her sea-green eyes brimmed with anger and more tears as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, trying her utmost effort to struggle free of their strong grips. But the more she struggles, the stronger their grips were on her. When Michael bended over to her, she stiffened, the color drained from her flushed face and her heart pounded so furiously against her chest that she thought it was going to explode. As the syringe nears her arm, as they thought they got her, all of them was hurled across the laboratory at the same time – By her.

When she saw them down on all fours, she raced to the retanglar hole for refuge. It wasn't there before but she couldn't care less. She has to get out of this damned place, that is all that matters.

Her trembling hands fumbled instinctively at the various buttons forcefully once she was inside. When the door shut close on their faces, she heaved a sign of relief and slumped against the cold hard wall for comfort, thinking she was finally safe.

For now.

**+Destiny's Child+**

The lab assistants cursed and sweared as they scrambled to trigger the alarm. The lift was the only entrance and exit that stretches six hundred feet under sea through an underground tunnel to their main labatory complex on ground. Here was a extended chamber that only a few of the higher powers know.

But all that was not important now.

Their VIP had escaped.

Which all Hell will break loose if it is _known_ that Alix Zala exists.


	2. The Whitleys

**Chapter 2: The Whitleys**

Heavy silence engulfed the group at the long table as they watched the culminating event live on the plasma screen on the wall – The nuclear blast of Junius Seven.

As expected, the PLANT was instantly eliminated.

The room erupted with cheers upon witnessing the vile act. All, but one, was celebrating the devastating event with hugs and laughter.

Only Gladys Whitley remained seated calmly with her hands folded at her laps. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, blocking out the commotion surrounding her. To her, the blast was a senseless display of power at the expense of lives. For a 'pure and blue' world. To hell with that. _Since when_ was the world 'pure and blue'?

(((BUZZ)))

Her thoughts are interrupted when she heard the vibration of her cell phone amidst the boisterous cheers. The screen flashed 'private number' and she answered it knowingly. "Yes? … You have to speak louder, I can't hear you here." She sighed loudly and covered her ears, rolling her eyes at the bunch of idiots dancing in front of her. "Now you're blabbering, Brian. Slow down."

She had to take a moment to digest what was being told to her. Then it struck her.

"Whoa!" she shoved her chair away and stood up, disbelief etched across her face. The outburst silenced the commotion in the room and caused all eyes on her.

Somehow, the sudden silence of the room sent a shiver down her spine.

"What's wrong?" One of them asked.

Gladys tossed her cell phone across the table and fall back on her chair, trying to gather her thoughts. "It's Zala."

The sense of urgency in the room shot up that instant.

Gladys leaned forward and wringed her hands on the table. When she looked up, everyone was looking at her in anticipation of what she would say next.

"She ran away."

**+Destiny's Child+**

Samantha Whitley just arrived at _the lift_ when the sirens blared. Barely a second later, the lift door slid open and she came face to face with Alix.

Both girls yelped together in surprise but Samantha managed to recover faster. She clamped Alix's mouth and pulled her to a shadowed corner just as the soldiers started marching in. They crouched against the wall, holding their breath as they watched the soldiers dispersed to their respective search areas. Although Alix did not make any noise, Samantha did not let up her hold on her mouth. Only when she muffled for the release did Samantha realize that she was suffocating her best friend since childhood. She removed her hand immediately and flashed a wide grin at Alix, astonishment written all over her face. "This is unbe-"

She was stopped short when Alix gave her a punch that sent her flying out of the shadows. After which Alix tried to dash past her, but she grabbed her in midsection and jabbed her back up against the wall in the shadowed corner. She wanted to scream at Alix then. One, for punching her! And two, for being ungrateful! Any idiot would have known she meant no harm!

She wasn't able, however, when a section of the soldiers passed by that moment and both girls stiffened instinctively, staring into each other's eyes as their hands clutched together for support. They were both trembling in fear of being caught though Samantha managed to gather her courage to dare a quick peek at the soldiers marching around. After a while, when Samantha was certain the soldiers were once again gone, she turned to frown at Alix, her hands clamped down on both sides of Alix's arms in case she strike her again. Samantha tried hard to keep her frustrated expression on but failed miserably when she caught Alix's emerald eyes. – Eyes that spoke of fear.

"It's me." Samantha uttered softly, voice shaking with emotion. Never did she once think that Alix would one day come 'alive'. "Samantha."

Alix was slow to react. She stared at Samantha blankly for a moment before it finally dawned on her that right in front of her is her best friend since childhood. Although she has never seen Samantha, although they have never played together when they were young, Alix recognized the voice. – The animated voice that has been accompanying her since young.

The fact overwhelmed her and brought tears to her eyes. She reached out to fondle Samantha's cheeks and Samantha chuckled softly with misty eyes and pressed her forehead lightly against Alix's in response. Despite being elated, the wailing sirens brought Samantha back to their situation. Her eyebrows crunched together in concern.

She has two choices now.

One, turn Alix in…

Or two, take her away…

Only one thought stayed firm in her head as she grabbed Alix's hand and glanced around furtively. When she turned to look back at Alix, a flash of defiance was evident in her crystal-clear blue eyes. "Now, let's get you out of here."

**+Destiny's Child+**

Gladys Whitley was angry. No. She was furious!

Not because she arrived at the laboratory only to find that the place was in an uproar, but it was one of the guards telling her that Samantha, her daughter of all people, was spotted in the laboratory compound when Alix went missing.

Twenty platoons of guards have been deployed to search the whole area yet they found nothing. There are only two kinds of people who are able to escape the watchful eyes of the building. The first kind is those who know their way well around the compound, and the second kind is those witty types where they know how to snake their way through.

In Gladys's opinion, her daughter fits the two kinds of people _perfectly_. Not to mention the records showed that Samantha _only_ clocked in. And it was around the time when Alix went missing. Gladys even double scanned the records to make sure but there were clearly no records of her clocking out.

Now, will someone convince her that her willful daughter has got nothing to do with Alix's disappearance?

"Samantha!" Gladys hollered the moment she stepped into their mansion.

**+Destiny's Child+**

Samantha jumped when she heard the front door bounded opened. She winced when she heard her name.

Needless to say, her mother is back.

She looks at Alix worriedly and her naïve friend, oblivious to what is happening, is happily eating the chocolate ice cream that she offered a while ago. When Alix caught Samantha looking at her, she smiled, a dimple showing in her right side of her cheeks. Her white dress that Samantha dressed her was smudged with the chocolate ice cream, and so was her face. Her malamute tried to lick the ice cream in her hands, but Alix won't let him. The two then engaged in an ice cream wrestle and Samantha chuckled at the sight. But her attention was diverted when she heard the booming voice of her mother once again.

"Samantha!"

Samantha rolled her eyes in irritation and quickly snatched the cup of ice cream from Alix and got her to hide in her wardrobe.

Come what may, Alix Zala is here to stay.

**+Destiny's Child+**

The door to Samantha's bedroom flew open and Gladys filed the entrance. She did a double take of the room when she spotted her daughter seated quietly with her back facing her at her study desk, seemingly studying with her headphones on. The French window beside the desk was left open and light from the outside brightened the dim room.

Gladys crossed the room and folded her arms across her chest when she was right behind Samantha. _Unsurprisingly_, her daughter was still 'oblivious' to her presence. She glanced around the room and found _two_ _cups_ of chocolate ice cream in the dustbin right beside the desk. Besides that, the wardrobe door is suspiciously ajar.

Alix cowers further in when she saw footsteps nearing Samantha at the desk, her words ringing fresh in her ears. "_Do not come out unless you see my signal, understand?"_

She started to worry for Samantha.

Samantha bit her lips. Her mom seems to be surveying her room behind her. _'I have to strike first and divert her attention.'_

Samantha half whirled in her chair. "Oh Mom! You gave me a scare standing right behind me like that!"

Gladys turned to look at Samantha with a raised eyebrow. "I did, didn't I?"

"Of course!" Samantha countered, taking her headphones off at the same time standing up. "What brings you home this early?"

'_Wrong move!'_ Samantha thought as soon as the words got out of her mouth. The question will only act as a trigger!

"You." Gladys replied calmly, placing her hands on her hips.

'_I knew she say that!'_ Samantha faked a face of innocence. "Me?"

"Own up, Ms. Whitley. The consequences are lighter than being found out."

'_Do you think I'm a fool, mom? The consequences are THE SAME.'_ "What? Own up what?"

Gladys took a deep breath. "Why did you go to the laboratory when you were supposed to be grounded?"

"Oh… that." Samantha scratched her head. "I thought I wasn't going to be found out."

"Sam!"

"Ok, ok! I got bored cooped up with all the books so I thought I dropped by to chat with Alix for a while. At the same time, I need her help in one of the topics I couldn't really understand."

Gladys waited for a moment before she realized at the end of the full stop is really a full stop. _'Well, when you have a tough child, you just have to get tougher.'_

"Well, did you see her?"

"No."

The answer came too quick and too short for the likes of Samantha Whitley, especially when it comes to Alix. Samantha might have realized her mistake, for she quickly added, "I left when I saw the guards pouring in. I thought they're having a drill or something. I don't want to get in their way."

As soon as Samantha finished her sentence, Gladys sliced right in to catch her off guard. "Alix is missing."

Samantha drew a startled gasp, eyes wide as saucers. "WHAT? What happened? Is she kidnapped? Oh God, Mom! You gotta do something!"

Gladys got to admit. Her daughter has this innate talent for acting. It's a pity she enrolled her into a science school instead of an arts one.

Gladys exhaled, her patience wearing thin by now. "What do you expect me to do when my daughter gets in my way?"

Samantha contemplated the question, eyes downcast. _'She knows. I knew it! I shouldn't have headed home… … I can't let Alix go back to that place. I will protect her. I have to.' _

Gladys eyed Samantha sternly and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Sam?"

Samantha looked up, frowning.

"Where is Alix? Where have you hidden her?"

Samantha gulped. "I don't know."

At the answer, Gladys lost her cool. "Listen here, young lady! The only reason why you were given a chance to talk is because you're my daughter! You know how important Alix is to us! Keeping her-"

"You never know how important Alix is to ME!" Samantha exploded, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Do you know how much Alix suffered because of your selfishness? Do you know how my heart aches whenever I see her going through those stupid tests for your fucking research? Do you even realize that she is also a human like you and me?" Samantha was fuming now. "Thirteen years, Mom! For thirteen years, you've used her for your personal gains! To those old bastards and witches, Gladys Whitley may be the distinguished scientist and engineer whom they are proud to have! But to me…" Samantha trailed off, taking time to breathe as she shakes her head in disappointment. "… I don't even know who you are…"

Gladys was too shocked to speak. As rebellious as she has known her only daughter to be, she never knew that she has such a strong opinion of her. She stared at Samantha in disbelief and Samantha stared back harshly.

At that moment, the bodyguards barged in with their guns ready in their hands. They were waiting downstairs when they heard the outburst. Reckoning something was wrong, they rushed towards the source. But when they saw it was only the mother and daughter locked in a fight, they backed off a little.

"Dr. Whitley?" The head called out in concern.

Gladys looked up teary-eyed and waved a hand of dismissal. At that moment, a muffled sound came from within the wardrobe. All of them turned to look at the wardrobe at the same time.

Then everything seemed to happened in slow motion.

Samantha and the bodyguards began rushing towards the wardrobe at the same time. Just as one of the bodyguards was about to reach for the knob, Samantha delivered a flying kick at the bodyguard that sent him crashing some others behind. The others left standing immediately pointed their guns at her while she shielded her wardrobe with her hands outstretched.

"Nobody touches my wardrobe!" Samantha declared, sounding determined.

Helpless, the bodyguards turned to look at Gladys for help. Gladys looked intimidating when she said, "Get out of the way, Sam."

Samantha hovered between irritation and anxiousness. _They_ are surrounded, no matter how she looked at it. But when she glanced at her mother, in fact, behind her, a sparkle of hope flashed across her mind. _'Perhaps…' _

Gladys watched Samantha stepped away from the wardrobe cautiously and walked to stand by her side. Her daughter looked surprisingly cool as she folded her arms across her chest and taps her foot. Gladys turned her gaze away from her daughter and gave a go-ahead nod to the bodyguards.

As the wardrobe door was being pulled open, it suddenly dawned on her that something was amiss – Samantha was too obliging.

Normally, Samantha Whitley would have insisted her way no matter what.

"Stop!" Gladys shouted.

But it was too late.

Everything started to happen at the same time.

The door bounded opened and their malamute lunged at the bodyguards. At the corner of her eyes, Gladys caught something crawling out from under the bed but she didn't get a clear look for she was given a harsh push by Samantha, which sent her crashing towards her bodyguards. Gladys Whitley was enraged she got on her feet with the help of her bodyguards. Her spoiled daughter has been getting really out of hand and by hook or by crook, Samantha was going to get the disciplinary action she deserves today.

But when she whirled around to face Samantha, when she saw who was beside her, her anger just dissipated. Instead, she found her breath caught at the back of her throat.

Right beside Samantha at the French window, stood Alix Zala. An 'alive' Alix Zala.

Under the light, the translucent white dress she wore revealed the abrasions and faded scars underneath, which was startling to see. Samantha was gripping her wrist and seemed to ready themselves to jump. Alix looked panic-struck and keeps pulling back at the same time casting backward glances at them.

The bodyguards pointed their guns at the two in unison, which drove Samantha up the wall when she half whirled around and saw them.

"We're going to jump, Alix!" Samantha announced vehemently, tightening her hold on Alix's wrist. When she looked down again, she prayed that it was not as high as she saw it to be. She quickly scanned around for some kind of a cushion.

There were none.

"Damn it, Alix!" Samantha spat. "We're going to jump and we're going to die!"

Alix shook her head and Samantha was unsure what she meant. Anyhow, Samantha ignored her gesture and said, "If I can't save you, I will die with you. We should rather die than suffer such humiliation."

"For how long are you going to continue this foolishness?" Gladys interrupted, rolling her eyes. Maybe she should seriously consider transferring her daughter into an arts school. She waved her hand to get her bodyguards to retract their guns and placed her hands on her hips. "Even Alix knew it was stupid to jump down from here."

"Huh?" Now, Samantha felt stupid. She turned to look at Alix, incredulous. "You think so?"

Alix nodded her head. And Samantha thought she looked pallid.

Alix felt ill. There was a knot in her chest, like something was traveling _up_ within her…

"Be brave, Alix! We'll make it somehh...ArrgghhAAH!"

Out of everyone's surprise, Alix had thrown up the ice cream she ate a while ago on Samantha, in fact, all over her. Right after, she felt faint. And the last word that was ringing vehemently in her ears before her world went black was her own name.


	3. Decisions

**Happy Lunar New Year! How is everybody's pockets? Full, I suppose? Hehe...**

**On the first day od CNY, I present to you Chapter 3 of Destiny Child.**

**Enjoy!**

_'Character's thoughts'_

_Flashback_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Decisions**

The next time Alix opened her eyes was one week later. She was once again confined in a white room, though it was different from before. She closed her eyes and tried to recall anything prior when her eyelids instinctively lifted at the warm touch of a hand fondling her by the cheeks.

And there she was, the tall blonde-haired woman from before, standing beside the bed.

Gladys was utterly relieved the moment she saw Alix opening her eyes. She took off her glasses and smiled down at her. Alix tried to speak, but nothing came out of it. Gladys pulled the sheets up to her chest before saying, "Easy, my child. Your vocal cords are not ready yet."

With that, Alix stopped her attempts and stared up at Gladys. When Gladys stared into the pair of green eyes looking up innocently at her, she finally understood why Samantha had desperately tried to protect her. Alix is an angel, in any estimation. And God's gift to both mother and daughter.

She met Alix when she was barely a month old. When Alix was brought to her, things were not looking good. Alix was dying with a bullet in her brain, threatening to end her life anytime. But Alix was a strong child with a strong will to live. They worked together and miraculously, as the small group of people who knew about her claimed, she survived. – In a comatose condition, that is. The bullet in her brain was the cause.

It was then she got to taste the tip of success.

It was then she decided to turn to Alix for more.

It was a logical decision then. Alix was an invalid and a Coordinator by birth. No Natural would want her. But Alix could help her fulfill her dreams. - Fame and reputation as a world-class scientist and engineer.

It was later that Gladys got to know that Alix actually came from an exceptional Coordinator family. Her father, Patrick Zala, is the President of the National Defense Committee of the Supreme Council in ZAFT. And her mother, Lenore Zala, was an active participant in promoting agricultural growth in PLANT, and was known for her virtuous and kind nature. She was involved in many charitable foundations and even contributed greatly to one of her researches for a vaccine for one of the deadly epidemics that was prone in the South African Union.

Gladys has always admired Lenore. She was a wife, a mother and a citizen contributing her part for her country. She always wondered how she managed to take it all in her stride. Alix, to her, was assumed to be dead but she took it all really well. At least as reported so. Instead of wailing for her lost child, she chose to protect her other child. Her older son, Athrun Zala. She got him out of the news, out of the reporters' reach when news spread all over the world that the newest member of the Zala family was killed in a terrorist attack assumingly planned by the Blue Cosmos. There was only once that toddler Athrun was caught fleetingly on camera with his mother before they were whisked away in a limousine by an army of ZAFT solders. As fleeting as the shot of him, Gladys could tell that he is a promising boy. And he has the same beautiful emerald eyes as Alix.

But now, they've lost their mother.

Gladys couldn't believe it too. But it was reported everywhere that Lenore Zala was in Junius Seven when the nuclear blast took place. She was killed instantly along with 243,720 Coordinators.

As Gladys reached out to fondle Alix forlornly by the cheeks again, she can't help but notice the abrasions and scars on her. A wave of guilt immediately washed over her. The wounds were all inflicted by her for her research of human genetics. She also made use of Alix's coordinator genes to help her attain the evolution of Gundams – From mobile armors to mobile suits; they will once again shock the world when her five babies are born.

Tears welled up in her eyes as Samantha came into her mind. "Samantha is right. I owe you one."

Samantha met Alix when they were four. Samantha was an autistic child until she met Alix. She wouldn't socialize anyone and would always hide herself in dark corners. Seeking psychiatric help didn't help matters. In fact, the more treatments she had, the more withdrawn she became. Samantha was like a living dead. Gladys had almost given up on her when one fateful day, the nanny took urgent leave for a personal matter and brought her to the laboratory compound to look for her. Being empathetic, Gladys took Samantha with her and brought her to the extended chamber undersea.

When Samantha saw Alix, she was instantly attracted to her. She started, for the first time in four years, voicing, out of Gladys's surprise.

It was then a unique friendship was born.

Although communications was a bit tricky, this barrier was soon overcame when Samantha got to know how to use the computers. – At the age of five.

By then, her autistic condition had improved drastically. Samantha started socializing with others and became a more cheerful child. Gladys surmised that Alix is the main drive behind Samantha's improvement. The two meet up almost everyday. Rain or shine, Samantha would insist in dropping by the laboratory and chat with Alix, even for as short as five to ten minutes. She would always bring her dolls and 'played' them with Alix. There were times she even went up to Alix and hugged her.

Alix felt it all.

Except seeing, moving and talking like a normal person, Alix, by any estimation, is a normal human. She feels like one, hears like one and definitely grows like one. In fact, she is a gifted child with exceptional intelligence. When Gladys noticed this quality, she made the decision to introduce her into the world of science and engineering to draw out her potential and couldn't help but be amazed each time Alix exceeds her expectations. Though it was understood that Alix's genes were manipulated before birth, nonetheless, Alix still exceeded the performance of an average Coordinator. There is one setback though – you have to depend on the computer to interpret her brain waves to know what she wants to say.

Gradually, Alix becomes Samantha's soul mate. Whatever Gladys knew about Samantha was always from Alix. From this, Gladys was certain, that Alix understands Samantha more than her. And the fact that Samantha only listens to Alix just validates her assumption. Gladys thought there was strong mutual understanding between the two. Unlike the amicable relationship the two have, she, on the other hand, seldom have a decent conversation with Samantha. Any conversation started will often ended up in arguments or clashing their heads out. But each time after Samantha talks to Alix, Samantha will, whether willing or not, initiate the apology.

Pausing in her thoughts, Gladys tore her gaze away from Alix and dug deep into the pockets of her lab coat to reveal a silver necklace that comes with an intricate AZ pendant. The pendant was hollow on one side with 'lix' craved on the horizontal stroke of the 'A' on the lumpy side. It was with Alix when she was brought to her. Gladys surmised it was a birthday gift from Alix's family and has been keeping it for her ever since.

Alix got the 'what is this' look and keeps fidgeting with it as Gladys helped her wear it around her neck. Then they shared a smile.

"Mom?"

Gladys dabbed her eyes at the interruption and half whirled on the bed to face a tired-looking Samantha standing by the doorway.

It has been an exhausting week for the both of them. Besides being argus-eyed for Alix's condition, war was officially declared between the two governments after the Bloody Valentine and now, things are pretty much heated up in Earth.

"How is Alix?" Samantha asked as she walked into the room. She just tossed her sling bag on the couch when she saw Alix staring up at her. Alix had a huge smile on her face when she saw Samantha.

Samantha widened her eyes and had to gag herself to prevent from screaming her head out. Gladys chuckled at the sight. She seldom witnessed the happy moments of her daughter and was glad she is witnessing one now. She was a bit taken aback when Samantha suddenly hugged her. It sounds embarrassing but it is the first time mother and daughter had such close physical contact with each other.

"She should be alright." Gladys replied and hugged her daughter back.

"You…" Samantha suddenly looked worried. "You're not taking her back to that place… are you?"

Gladys pretended to ponder that option for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Whatever."

"I knew it!" Samantha beamed, and pulled away from Gladys to pinch Alix on the cheeks. Alix slapped her hands away and Samantha hugged her instead, her laughter echoing in the room.

Gladys left the two on bed and crossed the room to the computer monitoring Alix's condition. She hit the keyboard and right after, the screen showed all the particulars that Gladys wanted to know.

**Name:** Alix Zala

**I.D: **486322

**Gender:** Female  
**Birthday:** September 29, C.E. 57

**Birthplace:** December**  
Genetic Type:** Coordinator  
**Blood type:** O  
**Hair:** Violet  
**Eyes:** Green  
**Height:** 160cm  
**Weight:** 44kg 

**Health Condition:** -

Comatose by a bullet in her brain since C.E. 57. 

All organs were functioning well since Feb 14, C.E. 70.

Last woken up on 13:57 hours Feb 14, C.E. 70; Cause of waking is triggered by 0.50cm movement of the bullet.

Report last updated on C.E. 70, Feb 14. 

Gladys typed in a few enquires and the screen immediately allayed her fears.

All organs functioning well at 20:22 hours, Feb 21, C.E. 70.

Gladys heaved a sign of relief, though she has doubts about the bullet in her brain. But nonetheless, Gladys decided to take things as they come.

She looked over at Samantha and Alix and the two were wrestling gleefully on the bed. Gladys can't help but wear a smile seeing the two. Now that the world is thrown in an abyss, there is only one place they can turn to – Her homeland.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Samantha stopped the wrestle and looked up at her mother on the bed. "What is it?"

"Go home and pack your bags."

"Huh? Why?"

"We don't want to get into the mess between EAF and ZAFT. You do grasp the situation the world is now?"

Samantha turned to look at Alix and Alix just tilted her head in question. Samantha nodded her head in understanding. When she looked at Gladys again, there was this worried expression on her face. "Are you sure you can just dump everything here and go away?"

Gladys smirked, "Not really, but I have everything thought out. All you have to do is to follow my plans."

Samantha shrugged. "Fine. But where do we go?"

"ORB."

**+Destiny's Child+**

At his assigned locker, Athrun Zala stared blankly at the jewellery hanging on the inside of his locker door. It was a silver necklace adorned with an intricate hollow AZ pendant that has 'thrun' craved on the horizontal stroke of the 'A'. It was given to him by his mother on his 2nd birthday and he treasured it more than anything else. At the thought of his late mother, Athrun slammed his fists hard into the lockers.

Damn those Naturals! How dare they use nuclear on Junius Seven!

He had just hung up on his cellular with his mother seconds before he saw the nuclear hit the PLANT on the nationwide plasma screen in the streets of December. His thoughts went numb instantly as he stood rooted on the streets with hundred others in shock of what they had just witnessed.

In the blink of the eyes, he lost his mother.

Just.like.that.

Nothing was left of Lenore Zala along with 243,720 Coordinators that was in the PLANT at that point of time.

Athrun tried calling his mother after the blast, though he knew it was a futile attempt. After x number of times the line remained engaged, the fact of his mother's death finally settled in. he cried for three full nights when his father sent for him.

It was then he decided to enlist into ZAFT.

It was the only channel where he could get the Naturals to pay for the death of his beloved mother.

"Athrun?"

Athrun turned to glare at the intruder. But when he saw it was only Nicol Amalfi, one of his teammates in his squad, he softened his expression. "Yes?"

"The President is calling on us. We are ordered to assemble at the assembly ground ASAP."

'_Father?'_ "Got it." With that, Athrun locked his locker and rushed to the assembly ground with Nicol.

**+Destiny's Child+**

The atmosphere was solemn at the assembly ground. Soldiers of all ranks were awed by the intimidating aura of Patrick Zala, the President of the National Defense Council of ZAFT. As he scanned through the huge group of newly-enlisted young soldiers assembled in front of him, an imperceptible smirk was formed at the corners of his lips. The numbers of citizens enlisting into ZAFT escalated drastically after the Bloody Valentine incident, which goes to show that the majority of the Coordinators in PLANT share his views – that the deaths in Junius Seven must be avenged.

Now that he has the support of the people, nothing, not even the Supreme Council or his close friend, Siegel Clyne, could stop him in exacting revenge on the Naturals.

But when he spotted Athrun in the group, a scowl crossed his face. Lenore's words came back to him. It was during the time when they had just lost Alix.

"_I don't want Athrun to live in the shadows of his sister's death. Since he didn't know of his sister, let him remain to think that way. Losing Alix…" Lenore trailed off and started to choke at the mention of their daughter. Tears streamed down her face as memories of Alix's death involuntarily flooded her mind. _

_Patrick's eyes were misty when he pulled Lenore up against his chest. Alix's death was a huge blow to him. In just twenty-four hours, he was given the news of his daughter's birth and death. It was his entire fault. Yes. He brought about Alix's death. And seeing his wife suffering for his fault was a punishment worse than death._

_Lenore swallowed hard before continuing, "Let us alone bear the aftermath, Patrick. Athrun is innocent."_

_When Patrick didn't answer her, Lenore pulled away and looked up at him. "Promise me, Patrick. Promise me that you will never tell Athrun about this family tragedy or force him into politics. "_

"President Zala."

At the voice, Patrick wheeled back to reality. He nodded towards his commanders and cast Athrun one last glance.

'_I didn't break my promise, Lenore. It was his own free will to join the military.'_

Gathering his thoughts, Patrick cleared his throat. "On behalf of ZAFT, I welcome you all."


	4. Crossroads

**Chapter 4: Crossroads - Alix and Cagalli, Athrun and Lacus**

Almost a year has passed since they moved to ORB. After completing a series of physiotherapies, normality tests and pronunciation lessons, Gladys decided to enroll both of them into Onogoro High, a prestigious school in Onogoro Island specializing in science and engineering.

Leaning her face on her fist, Alix tried to concentrate on her science class. She was pretty much sleep-deprived working on the operating system that Gladys had delegated to her. Seeming to pay attention to the lesson, Alix scrawled notes all over her notebook, but all of them were points she missed for the operating system. Her attention was averted when a robotic insect settled itself on the edge of the window, flapping its wings for her attention.

It was Chouchou, the robotic butterfly Alix had created in one of her science projects and given it to Samantha. With it being here would mean that Samantha had finished her class.

Samantha and Alix were allocated to different classes. Due to her proficiency in the two areas, Alix was promoted two levels up the education ladder, ranking her the same seniority as those who were older than her by two years.

"Go away." Alix mouthed at Chouchou at the same time casting furtive glances at her science professor scribbling his points on the whiteboard. Professor Stone was known to be a strict old man who does not tolerate lateness and inattention. Alix knew better than to get into his bad books.

Chouchou didn't budge, but flapped its wings impishly instead.

Cagalli noticed Alix with her robotic butterfly. She was seated two rows back and diagonally faced Alix. As she fidgets her pen while watching Alix, she wondered whether Alix would accede to her request. It would be great if she agrees, for it could save her a lot of trouble from her father. But if she doesn't… well, she hadn't really thought about that possibility. It wasn't much of a big deal anyway, and for one thing, Alix has never turned her away, and would in fact go that extra mile for her if needed. For that, Cagalli was sure that Alix would certainly help her this time, like she always did. Come to think of it, she felt guilty now that she once suspected that Alix was a 'spy' from Samantha. She first met Alix when her aunt, Gladys Nara Athha, now Gladys Whitley, returned to ORB ten months ago, introducing her as her adopted daughter.

Unlike Samantha, whom in Cagalli's opinion is a bimbo, Alix comes across as the more likable one. She was reliable, intelligent and polite. As young as she was, Alix founded the SA Foundation, an international charitable organization that aids the wounded, the sick and the homeless caused by the ongoing war. And no matter how she snubbed her in the past, Alix would always return it with kindness. That was how her guard against her gradually diminished.

A satisfied smirk curled up at the corners of her lips as she assessed her chances.

Yeah. Alix would help her.

All she has to do is ask.

"Miss Athha."

Alix's heart skipped a beat at the professor's voice, and was somewhat glad that it wasn't her who was called. She looked over at Cagalli, who had a damned look on her face.

"Yes?" Cagalli answered charily.

Professor Stone shot her a good frown. "Answer question six for us please."

Cagalli cursed under her breath and immediately looked around for help, but everyone turned away. Question six was a complicated question that would require a science geek to answer it. Cagalli scratched her head, and tried to think of something to get out of the situation. "Question six…uhmm… let's see. Question six is a good question."

Her answer sparked laughter from the class, but a good cough from the professor silenced them. Just when Cagalli thought she was going to stay back for additional classes again, Alix raised her hand.

Professor Stone glanced her way. "Miss Whitley."

Alix answered the question flawlessly; drawing awe from her classmates as she countered the Professor's bombarding questions without a sweat.

'_As expected from Alix…'_ Cagalli thought embarrassingly. No doubt Alix has once again saved her from distress. She sighed when she recalled Gladys's words to her. _"Alix and Samantha will be in the same school as you starting tomorrow. Look out for them, will you? Especially Alix, she's in the same class as you. "_

From the looks of it, it seemed to be _the other way round_.

Professor was thoroughly satisfied with Alix's answer. He left smiling when the bell rang, exciting everyone as they packed their bags and said their goodbyes. Cagalli called out to Alix when she saw her hurrying out of the classroom.

Alix whirled around, her long violet tresses dancing about her delicate shoulders. Cagalli noticed the dark rings around her eyes as she approached her.

"Had a late night huh?" Cagalli said, trying to engage into small talk before easing into the main subject.

Alix nodded. "Yeah."

"Uhmm…"

"Yes?" Alix probed when Cagalli hesitated. She was wringing her hands and her green eyes were darting around.

"I… hmm… I just want to thank you."

Alix raised an eyebrow.

"You know… just now."

Alix thought Cagalli left her words rather open-ended. "And?"

Beating around the bush wouldn't help matters, so Cagalli decided to be straightforward. She opened her mouth to speak, but Chouchou interrupted them. It flew in from the window and perched on Alix's shoulders. It reminded Alix of Samantha. "I'm meeting Samantha now. You wanna come along?"

Cagalli snorted upon hearing the name. Alix sighed, knowing well enough the hostility between the two, which was, more often than not, harmless.

"You two should try to know each other."

"Geez, I don't see the need. Actually I need to talk to you. Can you spare me a moment?"

Alix caught the worry in her voice. Without hesitation, she transferred Chouchou from her shoulders to her index finger. "Chouchou, tell Samantha not to wait for me. I'll be with Cagalli."

The robotic pet flapped away right after that, leaving Cagalli staring after it as it disappeared out of the window. For a moment, she wondered how the butterfly managed to 'live' till now. Alix topped the robotic pet science project because of it. It could understand languages and recognizes people, which in a sense provide security surveillance. It could also seek the whereabouts of people – That is, if you input the person's magnetic field in it. There is an inbuilt camera which is a good spying function. Alix once explained to her how it works, but everything just came in from one ear and out from the other. As for her own robotic pet, which is a dog, well…

Alix took hold of Cagalli's wrist and dragged her along, snapping her out of her daze. "Come. Let's go to the gardens. I seriously need some fresh air."

Inwardly, Cagalli beamed. _'Step 1, success!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"Athrun Zala!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"You are to report to the main office right this minute." The officer walked off brusquely after that, leaving Athrun wondering what could be the matter. It has been three months since he graduated at the top of the list from the academy and assigned to the Klueze Squad along with Nicol Amalfi, Dearka Elsman, Rusty Mackenzie and Yzak Joule. The five of them has been conducting investigations of EAF's movements under the brilliant leadership of Rau Le Creuset. In just three months, their squad was already well-known for being one of the best in ZAFT, crushing and intercepting EAF's plans for a 'pure and blue' world. And now, their ship, Vesalius, has just landed in ZAFT headquarters for a well-deserved break.

Athrun tossed his towel back into his locker unceremoniously and slammed it shut. Fancy him thinking of diving right into bed for a well-deserved sleep.

"Hmm… what could be the matter?" Dearka drawled after Athrun walked out of the locker room.

Yzak snorted and slammed his locker shut, his toiletries in his hands. "Who cares!" Then he strides out of the locker room nonchalantly, leaving Dearka tailing after him. "Yzak, wait up!"

When the two were out of sight, Nicol sighed. Inwardly, he was worried for Athrun. Out of the five of them, he knew Athrun has been suppressing his feelings, or rather his hatred for the Naturals the most. All of them knew about his mother and all of them knew it was a taboo to mention about his mother in front of him. Most of the times, he rather have Athrun barking his thoughts out like Yzak than to have him cool on the outside yet raging on the inside.

His thoughts were interrupted when Rusty gave him a pat on his shoulders. He gave him an assuring smile. "He'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Let's go."

**+Destiny's Child+**

"If Alix had survived, she'll be around Lacus's age." Patrick had a forlorn look when he said that. And Sigel couldn't blame him. To him, Alix's death was an unhealing scar.

"Let it go, Patrick. We cannot change what happened. You still have Athrun."

Patrick frowned upon hearing his son's name. And Sigel wasn't sure what that meant. After Alix's death, Patrick, though rancorous, was still able to maintain sanity with Lenore by his side. But now that she was also gone, Patrick allowed himself to drown in his own world of hatred, barring everyone, perhaps even Athrun out of his realm, making it harder and harder to rationalize with him.

Sigel knew Patrick took it all upon himself. Two times in a row, he wasn't able to protect his family. And he was the President of the National Defense Committee of ZAFT, how ironic was that?

Sigel didn't know what to say following Patrick's silence. He gave him a hard squeeze on his shoulders instead.

**+Destiny Child+**

A gasp escaped her mouth when Lacus bumped right into someone turning at the corner. She faltered and thought she was going to fall when a pair of strong arms caught her by the waist, bringing her up to lock her violet eyes with green ones.

For a moment, both of them stood frozen holding on to each other. Athrun was the first to recover. Discipline bounced right back into his mind (he was wearing his red uniform) and he made sure Lacus was steady before he removed his hands.

"You… alright?" Athrun asked. There was this funny tingling feeling in his stomach during that one-breath-away moment and the weird thing is, the feeling is lingering.

"Yes." Lacus answered with a sweet smile. "Thank you."

Three seconds of silence passed before both of them blurted in unison. "I'm heading that w…" They trailed off when they saw each other pointing at the same direction as well. Then they shared a smile.

"Then let me walk you there." Athrun offered.

"Alright. Thank you."

As they walked together side by side, Athrun wondered why a civilian like her is doing here. (Lacus was wearing her usual outfit in GS) The military headquarters was not a playground for young girls like her so to speak. He was about to pop the question when Lacus halted in her tracks.

"I'm here."

They stopped in front of the main office.

"I'm… going in as well." Athrun replied. _'What business has she here?'_

"Oh. Then let's go in together."

They drew attention the moment they were inside. Military personnel passing by saluted at Athrun, and Athrun saluted back, finding the pink-haired girl beside him getting more suspicious when he noticed the personnel offered their salutes to her as well.

"Lacus-sama!"

When Athrun glanced at the man-in-black approaching them, he thought the name sounded familiar. But he was too tired to recall. And he noticed the worried look on the MIB was instantly replaced by enlightenment when he saw he was beside her.

"Come. Let's not keep Chairman and President Zala waiting."

Both of them were ushered into a conference room before they could help it, turning the heads of the two most powerful figures in PLANT. Athrun immediately attention himself and saluted to the both of them. _'Father and the Chairman are here. Is there something serious going on?'_

"At ease, Athrun." Sigel greeted, approaching them with a fatherly smile. "There's no need to be so formal when we are alone."

Athrun noticed the pink-haired girl turned to stare at him when the Chairman mentioned his name. And it suddenly dawned on him that she was Lacus Clyne! The only daughter of PLANT Chairman Sigel Clyne, and not to mention, the most popular girl in PLANT! But because the two superiors were looking, he didn't dare look back.

"He should be. He's wearing the uniform after all." Patrick refuted, coming up behind Sigel with his usual stern look.

'_Father is the same as before…' _ Athrun thought crestfallenly.

Sigel sighed and led both of them to sit at the long table before he and Patrick went to sit across them.

Sigel leaned forward, hands grasped together on the table. "So, you two have met."

"Yes." Lacus answered.

Athrun raised his eyebrow.

"Lacus is your fiancée, Athrun." Patrick announced as a matter of fact when he saw the somewhat confused look on his son.

Athrun didn't realize he was gaping until his father reminded him. "Mind your manners, son." Then he turned to Sigel. "Sorry for not informing him earlier. We were-"

"It's okay." Sigel interrupted, giving Athrun a sympathetic look. Patrick never failed to deliver news in an easier way. "As long as he likes the idea-"

"Of course he does." Patrick interrupted, and shot Athrun an authoritative look. "This is for the good of our country."

Athrun remained silent, for he was still in shocked mode. The two old men has been talking as if he was not around, which was making matters worse.

Lacus noticed his state of mind. "Are you okay?"

Athrun turned to look at her. Involuntarily, he blushed. The thought of having Lacus Clyne as his fiancée was sending butterflies in his stomach. An 'Uh' was all he managed. Sigel smiled at his boyishness. "You have grown up to be a fine young man, Athrun. It seems like yesterday when Patrick told me elatedly he has a baby son."

Patrick snorted. "He's still a willful brat."

Athrun's shoulders slumped at that comment.

Sigel emitted a wholehearted laugh. "Oh, don't say that, Patrick. He's one of the reds after all."

A subtle smirk formed at Patrick's lips. "Let's hope it's not because of me."

"Do you doubt the protocols you set for ZAFT?" Sigel countered.

Athrun shifted uneasily in his seat. Did his father know how hard he worked for it? Though he tried to be discreet, Lacus nevertheless, detected his restlessness.

"Oto-sama." Lacus interjected.

Sigel caught his daughter's hint. He gave both of them another one of his fatherly smiles. "Oh my, we have neglected the main characters."

Patrick sighed and looked at Athrun straight in the eyes. "We have granted you two weeks leave. Take the time to get to know more of each other before we hold the engagement ceremony two weeks from now." His father's tone left Athrun no room for discussion, let alone protest. "If there are no other matters, you may leave now."

Athrun nodded, his eyes downcast as he pulled himself to feet. Lacus thought he was unhappy with the idea of him being engaged to her. Did he already have a sweetheart? She guessed she has to ask him the questions only when they were alone, as the rumor of the dictatorial aura of President Patrick Zala was not say after all.

Athrun saluted to both of them and gave her a polite nod before he turned to leave.

"Athrun-sama." Lacus called out to him.

Athrun turned around. "Uhmm... Athrun will do."

Lacus smiled. "Okay. Athrun."

"Yes?"

"What time will you be picking me up tomorrow?"

**+ Destiny Child + **

A good minute has passed as Alix watched Cagalli paced to and fro in front of her, wringing her hands pondering over the perfect words to put across her thoughts.

They were under one of the Sakura trees in their school garden.

Alix decided she had enough. Her tired eyes simply couldn't help up anymore. "Cagalli…"

Cagalli stopped pacing and turned to look at her with a frown.

Alix's brows knitted in concern. "What is it you want to say?"

Cagalli swallowed hard before clearing her throat. "Actually. I was wondering…"

"Uh huh?" prompted Alix.

"Okay." Cagalli took a deep breath. "I overheard aunt talking to oto-sama that she will be sending you to Helipolis for an internship that would last three months."

Alix widened her eyes. "You eavesdropped on them?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes in vexation. "Let's not get into that. Just answer me, is it true?"

Alix nodded.

"Can you take me with you?"

Alix was not prepared for that. "Huh?"

"Please?" Cagalli clasped her hands together. "I need to go there!"

It doesn't make any sense to Alix. "But why would you want to go there?" But then it dawned on her that it must have something to do with _what _she overheard. She narrowed her eyes at Cagalli. "What exactly did you overhear?"

Cagalli hesitated for a moment. "Promise me you won't tell, not even to Samantha."

Alix nodded.

"Say it!" Cagalli insisted.

Alix sighed. "I promise."

Cagalli looked around furtively before cupping her mouth to whisper at Alix's ears. When Cagalli was finished, Alix was frowning.

"So you suspect that ORB is lending military resources to EAF?" Alix said.

Cagalli immediately gagged her "Shh!" and glanced around furtively. "The trees have ears!"

Affected by Cagalli's sensitivity, Alix glanced around and even offered a hi when some of their classmates passed by, trying to look as if she and Cagalli were having casual conversations.

"But you can't just go." Alix rationalized in a low voice when they were once again alone. "You're the princess!"

"That's why I need your help!" Cagalli retorted in an equally low voice. "Oto-sama thinks good of you. He won't suspect anything if you cover for me!"

"But-"

"Yes, I may be the princess of ORB! But what good is a princess like me if I can't even protect the ideals of our country?"

"Not to invade or be invaded." Alix and Cagalli knowingly recited together.

"Yes!" Cagalli pointed out vehemently. "So you do know what I mean! If ORB is really lending military resources to EAF, then we would have broken the code of honor of being neutral! If ORB is really lending military resources to EAF, than oto-sama will be a big swindler deceiving not only the people of ORB, but also to the rest of the world! If that's the case, he should not be the leader of ORB!"

"I think you should have some faith in uncle. I don't think-"

"That's why I need to go to Helipolis!" Cagalli interrupted, feeling her frustration building up by the minute. "To see… to prove that oto-sama is really what he said! ORB is the only haven in the world promising peaceful lives and if oto-sama…"

Alix listened quietly as Cagalli went on articulating her thoughts and opinions about his father as well as ORB. She heard the desperation in her and knew all along that Cagalli wanted to do her part for the country instead of being _just the princess_. When she founded the SA Foundation, Cagalli was very enthusiastic in helping out, but due to conflicting personalities with the other co-founder, Samantha… well, things just couldn't work out between the both of them.

"So you see," Cagalli threaded her fingers across her hair in frustration. "I can't just stand by and do nothing. Knowing something is going terribly wrong yet I can't do anything to help is very… frustrating."

"Cagalli."

"What?"

"What kind of princess do you want to be?"

"Huh?" Cagalli was completely lost at Alix's sudden change of subject. _'Did she hear what I just said?'_

"I said what kind of princess you want to be?" repeated Alix patiently.

Cagalli scratched her head. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Then think about it now."

Cagalli pouted and gave it a thought, though at the back of her mind, she couldn't figure out why Alix had asked her the question.

"I want to be a wise princess… wise and… strong. Wise and strong and kind! I want to be a wise and strong and kind princess who believes in attaining freedom and justice for my people!"

Alix flashed a satisfied smile as she gave Cagalli a pat on her shoulders. "Good. Keep that in mind when you're feeling as you are now. I believe you make a good princess… no, a good leader for ORB. I'm behind you all the way."

Cagalli simply stared at Alix agape. Obliviously, Alix has detected the identity confusion she felt within herself.

"I can't promise you anything now but I'll talk to mum about it." Alix said finally with a shrug.

Cagalli couldn't be happier. Without a second thought, she lunged at Alix to give her a bear hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Ok! Now, get off me!" Alix protested jokingly.

Cagalli obliged but her smile was instantly wiped off when her cell phone rang. The screen flashed 'The Annoying Grandpa'.

Alix dared a peek. "Kisaka-san?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes and flipped her phone open. "I'll be right there." Right after, she hung up.

Alix shook her head exasperatedly.

"Be glad that you don't have an annoying shadow always by your side." Cagalli remarked, pouting.

"I do. But like you said, they're in the shadows."

Cagalli didn't look like she believed her. "Anyway, I'm going now. Call me."


	5. Crossroads II

**Chapter 5: Crossroads – Alix and Shinn**

When Cagalli was gone, Alix noticed a rectangular lump of black mass shimmering under the sun. Upon a closer look, she realized it was a cell phone. It rang when she bended down to pick it. The screen flashed 'Mayu'. But the call ended before Alix could decide whether to answer it.

Looking around to see whether the owner was nearby, Alix spotted a raven-haired boy. His hands were full of books and notes but his eyes were scanning the grass. From the pass he left hanging around his neck, Alix knew he was not a student here.

She walked over to him.

Shinn glanced up when a shadow loomed over him. Out of his surprise, it was a rather cute-looking girl around his age.

"Is this yours?"

Shinn heaved a sign of relief upon seeing his cell phone in her hands. "Yes! Thank God, where you found it?" He reached for it, but the moment his hands moved, the books and notes in his hands dropped, crashing the grass around them.

"Damn." Shinn muttered, and immediately bended down to pick up the books and notes.

Alix helped.

One by one, the books and notes were recovered. Then both of them reached for the last book at the same time. Shinn noticed the intriguing green of her eyes while Alix noticed that most of the books he borrowed were by Gladys Whitley, in other words, her mum. She picked up the last book and handed it with the rest over to Shinn.

"I'm doing a case study on one of Professor Whitley's works." Shinn explained when he saw Alix's lingering gaze on the books. "Most of her books can only be found here."

"I see." Alix answered. "Here, your cell phone. I found it somewhere in the grass over there."

As if on cue, it rang.

Shinn hesitated between dropping the books and notes in his hands to answer the call or simply let it die. Much to his relief, Alix offered to hold the baggage for him. He uttered his thanks as he passed the books and notes over to Alix and answered the call.

"Hello?"

While Shinn was answering his call with his back facing her, Alix couldn't help but glance through his notes in her hands.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry. We will make it this time. I'm sure we can beat Daniel's group and get an A. I have almost finished my part…"

Alix glanced up at Shinn when he said that. Shinn thought he should hang up as a polite gesture when he whirled around to catch her looking at him.

"Talk to you later, bye." He shoved his cell phone into his back pockets before taking over the books and notes from Alix. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Alix replied, hesitating. Should she tell him?

"Hmm.. I guess that's it." Shinn said with a shrug, feeling funny in the stomach.

"Uhmm.."

"Yes?" Shinn probed. The funny feeling is feeling funnier.

"About the equations you wrote… I think some of them were wrong."

Shinn was instantly alarmed. He has spent hours on it! "Really? Which one?"

Alix pointed out the wrong ones and corrected it, explaining each and every corrected ones logically in details.

Shinn was amazed.

Eventually, they ended up in the school library where Alix helped to polish up Shinn's work.

There were times where they reached for the same book and their hands brushed against each other.

Both blushed at that.

There were times where they bumped into each other searching for books in the same aisle.

Both blushed at that.

There were times where they caught each other staring at each other through the gaps of missing books on the shelves.

Both blushed at that.

But there were also times where Shinn felt he was being watched. At first, he thought it was Alix. But he always found her engrossed in her work behind the desk or browsing for books at the aisles whenever he felt the feeling. Thinking it was only his imagination, Shinn simply pushed it to the back of his mind.

Before they realized it, the sun has set.

Shinn gave himself a well-deserved stretch. "Finally! We're done!"

Alix smiled. "I wish you the best for tomorrow."

"Geez, thanks." Shinn replied, grinning. "But you sure know a lot about Professor Whitley's works."

Alix shrugged.

Then they heard their stomachs rumbling.

They looked at each other embarrassingly and shared a knowing smile. Shinn glanced at his wristwatch. "It's half past eight. No wonder we're hungry! You wanna-"

Shinn was interrupted when their cell phones rang concurrently.

They answered their calls at the same time and grimaced at the same time, for the voices on their other lines were equally strong.

"Okay, I'm coming home now." They said as one in the end.

They turned to look at each other, surprised that they actually said the same words. When they hung up, Shinn forced a smile. "I'm so sorry to hold you up this late. That must be your mother."

Alix shook her head. "It's alright. But you wanna go now?"

"Uhmm.. yeah, sure." Shinn felt kind of disappointed. He was hoping to know her better through dinner, which is of course his treat. It wasn't everyday you get to have a cute and intelligent girl to help you out after all. Shinn guessed he would have to vent his disappointment on Mayu later, when he gets home. Count on his little sister to call at the right time!

They packed their bags and headed for the gates. Shinn was surprised that a car was already waiting for her. It looked rather mysterious with the tinted black windows and the state-of-the-art designed doors. One of them actually slid open when Alix stood beside it. When Alix saw Shinn turning his head left and right, seeming deciding which way to go, she offered, "You wanna hitch a ride?"

Shinn hesitated. He already troubled her so much today but on second thoughts, he was not really familiar with the roads around here, especially now that night has fallen. "If it's convenient…"

Alix smiled and stepped aside, gesturing him to get into the car. "Dozo."

The inside looked as mysterious as it was on the outside.

Though it was not a limousine, it certainly has the makings of one. The front of the car was shielded by another of the black tinted window, making it almost impossible to see the driver. Soft music was played over the stereos at both sides of the car and the plush leather seats were comfortable enough for you to fall asleep. Together, they presented a classy feel about the whole car.

"So, where do you live?" Alix asked.

Shinn said the address and he was surprised the car moved right after he said that. _'The driver heard me? I thought it was soundproof…'_

"Roy didn't have the soundproof on." Alix explained, reading his thoughts.

"I see."

During the whole journey, they talked about everything from the ongoing war to their daily lives. In the end, both concluded they were glad to be ORB citizens.

The car came to a halt, signaling the end of their meeting. Shinn looked out the window and recognized the silhouette of his house outlined by the street lamps. "I'm home."

The door slid open right after he said that.

"Good night." Alix said.

"Good night." Shinn got off the car and stood by it as the door slid close.

Alix rolled down the window.

"Thanks for the ride home." Shinn said. "And your hel-"

"Oni-chan!"

Out of nowhere, Mayu appeared, interrupting Shinn as she hovered behind his back. She gasped when she saw Alix. "Is that your girlfriend? Is she why you stayed out so late?"

Before Shinn could say anything, Mayu sidestepped him and stretched out her hand at Alix. "I'm Mayu Asuka. Shinn's little sister. Nice to meet you!"

Alix's eyes flew to Shinn.

"Mayu!" Shinn protested embarrassingly.

Alix chuckled at the two and got off the car. "I'm Alix Whitley. Nice to meet you too."

Shinn froze when he heard her name. "Alix.. Whitley…?" He muttered, surprised that the girl whom he has been with for the past few hours actually bore the same surname as the renowned scientist and engineer, Gladys Whitley. Come to think of it, she knew a lot of Gladys Whitley's works at the back of her hands, which could mean…

"You mean you two don't know each other's names?" Mayu exclaimed when she saw the look on her brother.

Alix smiled. "We do now, thanks to you."

Mayu giggled and gave Shinn a nudge. "But oni-chan, you sure are bold!"

"Mayu!" Shinn protested, feeling redness creeping up his cheeks. Mayu retaliated by making a face.

Alix smiled at the two. "Well, it's getting late. I gotta go now."

Shinn nodded. "Ohh…"

"Good night!" Mayu said enthusiastically as she waved her hand at the diminishing car.

Shinn slapped his temple exasperatedly as he walked to their door, leaving Mayu at the pavement. "I'm locking the door if you're not coming in!" He threatened lightheartedly when he saw that Mayu was still standing at the pavement.

"Don't you dare!" Mayu exclaimed as she ran towards Shinn at the door.

"Oni-chan?"

"What?"

"How did you meet Alix-ne-chan?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No."

"She is very cute."

"Yeah."

Mayu's hands flew to her mouth. "You like her!"

Shinn rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Mayu."

"You like her!"

Shinn groaned.

**+ Destiny Child + **

"You don't have to go that far for a stranger, you know." Roy remarked as he rolled down the window separating them.

Alix was looking out from her window when he said that. She shrugged. "What would you suggest I do then?"

Roy remained silent. His green eyes watched her from the rearview mirror instead. A tired smile formed at the corners of Alix's lips as her green eyes met his.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long today."

"It's my job." Roy stated plainly.

Alix sighed. Roy never failed to be… Roy.

She picked him when Gladys was choosing a personal bodyguard for her. Alix first met Roy when Gladys brought her to some training grounds filled with kids around her age. Roy was one of them, and the only one that caught her eyes. Unlike Kisaka and Mira, who are Cagalli's and Samantha's personal bodyguards, who are always seen together with them, Roy chose to protect her in the shadows, appearing only when she needed him.

"Did Gladys call?" Alix asked, raking a tired hand across her violet tresses.

"I told her that Professor Stone needed your help in his work when I saw you walked away with that boy."

"His name is Shinn."

Roy remained silent.

Used to Roy's aloof and reserved demeanor, Alix responded simply by closing her eyes, giving in to her lethargy. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Roy noticed it and turned the air-con down. He slowed down the car to ensure she won't be jarred awake. As he watched Alix asleep behind him, he frowned. Alix never failed to be… Alix – Always putting others before her. He wondered where she got that from. Did she know that Gladys was using her? Perhaps she do, perhaps she don't.

And she was his lifelong charge.

For as long as he lives, he would always be on a lookout for her; that was his lifelong promise to her, though he hadn't really mentioned it to Alix or to anyone else for the matter.

He was instantly attracted to her when he first met her.

Alix came up to him and offered him chocolate ice cream, claiming it could heal all wounds on his body and dried his tears. Weird enough, her words came true. He remembered smiling for the first time.

Something shimmering beside Alix caught Roy's eyes.

Keys.

Roy knew it was not Alix's. He thought of returning it quietly tomorrow but when Alix stirred in her sleep, her hand brushed against the leys.

"Hmm?" Alix held up the keys at eye level as she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Probably belongs to that Shinn-kun." Roy stated.

"I see." Alix muttered sleepily. Without a second thought, she stuffed the keys into her bag and closed her eyes again.

Roy sighed.

There goes his plan.

Of course, he could take the keys from Alix's bag when she was sleeping but he would never do that. He would never intrude on her privacy, which was why he chose to protect her in the shadows. It was his way of respecting her.

And of course, he could ask Alix. He could offer to return it on her behalf. Yes, he would ask her the first thing in the morning. Now, Alix needed her rest.

The Whitleys' mansion came into view. It was located at the top of a hill by the seaside.

Roy pulled the car into the designated lot and gently eased Alix into his arms.

Samantha was in one of the living rooms lying on the couch flipping TV channels when she caught Roy passing by with an unconscious Alix in his arms. She bounced right up and stopped Roy. "What happened to Alix?" She brushed Alix's forehead as she gave her an once-over. "Did she faint again?"

"She fell asleep." Roy stated plainly.

Samantha heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. "Why was she so late today?"

Alix was usually home before she does when they couldn't meet to come home together.

"Professor Stone needed her help in his work." Roy replied plainly.

"She told me she was with tomboy." Samantha retorted, cocking a suspicious eyebrow.

"It was after that."

Samantha was not convinced. She folded her arms. "I'm not your boss, you know."

Roy responded by walking away from her.

Samantha wasn't about to give up. She kept up with Roy and probed, "It was tomboy, isn't it?"

Roy didn't answer and kept on walking towards Alix's room while Samantha continued her chattering. "Silence means you admit! Geez! What does she want this time?"

"You're waking Alix."

They reached Alix's room and Roy walked right in to place Alix gently in the centre of her bed. Samantha leaned by the doorway with her arms folded across her chest as she watched Roy pulled the covers up Alix's chest.

"You seem to care a lot about Alix." Samantha remarked.

"She's my charge."

"More than that. I can tell."

Roy shoved his hands into his pockets nonchalantly as he passed by Samantha at the doorway. "Believe what you will."

Samantha smirked.

"Good night!" Samantha called out to him before she heard his bedroom door closed beside Alix's.

Shrugging, Samantha walked over to sleeping Alix and placed her hands on her hips as she watched her. "How dare you sleep when we have not seen each other for a week?" She whispered 'angrily'.

For the past seven days, both of them have been busy with their own things. Alix with her assignments from Gladys and Samantha with her ballet practices. Both of them agreed to meet each other at the end of the week, which was today, to spend some quality time together, but Alix suddenly sent Chouchou to say she couldn't make it because of Cagalli. And their meeting lasted for the whole day.

Now, who wouldn't be pissed?

Samantha crawled into the bed and snuggled up with Alix to give her a light pinch on the nose. "Silly lass."

Alix slapped her hand away and muttered something under her breath that Samantha couldn't really make out.

Samantha sighed. "Good night, silly lass."


	6. Feelings

**Chapter 6: Feelings**

Samantha slowly lifted her eyelids to find herself alone in Alix's bed. She sat up and glanced around the room sleepily. "Alix?"

Silence greeted her.

"Mira!" Samantha called out next.

Her personal bodyguard immediately appeared by the doorway. "Yes, Samantha-sama?"

"Where is Alix?" Samantha asked, raking a hand sleepily across her long tousled blonde hair as she glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

It was seven-twenty-nine a.m.

"Alix-sama has gone to the lab." Mira informed. "She won't be going to school today as well as for the next two weeks."

Samantha leaned back on her hands. "Mum's instructions again?"

"Yes. Gladys-sama has applied leave for her to complete the assignments."

Samantha rolled her eyes and yawned. "Her and her stupid instructions…"

Chouchou flew in then, landing itself in front of Samantha on the covers.

"Time to wake up, lazy bum! Time to wake up, lazy bum!" Chouchou chirped, flapping its wings. "It's time for school! Time for school!"

Needless to say, it must be Alix's doing.

Samantha smiled at the thought of her sister.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Clad in a red sweater and black pants with a suede cap, Athrun stood in front of a gravestone, staring down at the engraved name 'Lenore Zala'. It has been ages since he visited his mother and he knew she must have missed his company. Lacus came up beside him with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She bended down to place the flowers on the grave.

"My apologies on bringing you here on our first date." Athrun finally said after a long moment of silence.

Lacus shook her head. "Not at all. It's my pleasure."

Athrun turned to look at her at that.

"You wouldn't bring me here if you dislike me." Lacus explained with her trademark smile.

Athrun turned away, cheeks flushed. "Hm.. Ah."

"Athrun?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a sweetheart?"

Athrun didn't expect the question. "Huh?"

"Because you looked unhappy when Uncle Zala announced our engagement." Lacus explained as a matter of fact.

"Yes... I mean no..." Athrun hastily tried to explain. Man! He knew he was not good with girls. "It's not like I'm unhappy or anything… it's just… everything's just… too sudden."

"I see." A soft breeze blew by then, and Lacus brushed away strands of her pink locks which got in her way. "I understand what you mean. When Father told me about it, I was surprised too. After that, I just can't wait to see you."

Athrun's cheeks deepened in color. "Ohh…I see."

Lacus chuckled at Athrun's boyishness. Then she stretched out her hand at him. "Let's go."

**+ Destiny Child +**

"What? I can't believe it!" Yzak hollered. "That bastard's engaged to Lacus Clyne?"

"Lucky boy…" Dearka interjected beside Yzak.

Nicol sighed when Rusty shrugged.

The four of them were in one of the conference rooms in the military headquarters. Rau had just dismissed them, granting them two weeks' leave as Athrun was not around to complete the team.

"Why must the rest of us be dragged down by that bastard?" Yzak continued to rave. He shoved his chair away as he stood up, slamming his palms on the table. "We should be out there crushing those Natural bastards!"

"Just chill, Yzak!" Rusty coaxed. "And enjoy your break. We still have a long way to go."

"I don't need a break!" With that, Yzak stormed out of the conference room.

Dearka rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Wait up, Yzak!"

**+ Destiny Child +**

The moment he stepped out of the conference room, Yzak bumped into his mother, Ezalia Joule.

"Mother!" Yzak greeted, surprised. He honestly didn't expect to see his mother here though they were in the military headquarters.

"Yzak!" Ezalia was glad to see his son here. God knows how much she missed her son. "What are you doing here?"

Dearka immediately saluted to Ezalia the moment he spotted her. Ezalia hastily dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"Thanks to Athrun." Yzak replied with a hint of displeasure.

"Our squad was granted two weeks leave because of Athrun's engagement to Lacus Clyne." Dearka added beside Yzak.

Yzak snorted.

Ezalia nodded. "I see. Is that why you're pouting, son? You want to be engaged too?"

Yzak widened his eyes unbelievably. "Of course not! I can't be bothered with those trivial matters when we should be out there crushing those Natural bastards!"

Ezalia smiled. "If Alix had survived, you would be the next one."

Because his mother was muttering under her breath, Yzak couldn't quite catch what she said. "What did you say, mother?"

Ezalia shook her head, thinking she was uttering impossible things. "Nothing. Please take care of yourself, Yzak. I still have matters to see to."

Yzak frowned as he watched his mother walked away with her guards.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Alix sneezed.

And a tissue paper was immediately presented before her. Alix took it gladly, thinking it must be Samantha 'cursing' at her for abandoning her yet again. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Roy replied plainly.

They continued their walk in silence as they followed a long corridor with stark walls and linoleum floors, clearing barrier after barrier to get into the lab that Gladys was in.

"Alix Whitley and Roy." The computer announced when both of them stepped into the magnetic sensors for one of the barriers. The door slid open after that. As they crossed the corridor to pass yet another barrier ahead, Alix sighed. "I hate coming here."

Roy didn't comment on it.

Finally, they reached the last barrier. Roy halted in his tracks. "I shall wait here."

Alix nodded and stepped into the scanner alone. "Alix Whitley."

The scanner scanned Alix from head to toe. "Alix Whitley confirmed." The computer announced and the door slid open right after that.

Alix walked right in.

Inside, the odor hit her at once. Too antiseptic, too sterile. The smell of a place that definitely had things to hide. Here and there, computers big and small could be spotted everywhere, each with its own data to run. The air was cooler in here. Men and women in lab coats nodded at her as she passed them, her footsteps clicking solemnly as she advanced steadily towards the figure who summoned her.

"Mother." Alix called out the moment she was a foot away from the woman she has known to be her mother.

Gladys whirled around. At first glance, she looked like everybody's favorite mum. But a closer look revealed the stiffness of her spine and her dominant aura. Her scowl disappeared the moment she saw Alix. "Ah Alix, You're finally here. Come, let's get down to work."

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Hey bimbo!" Cagalli called out to Samantha.

The blonde belle whirled around with a scowl. Their classes have just ended and Cagalli spotted Samantha in one of the corridors.

"I mean, Samantha." Cagalli corrected upon seeing the pissed look on Samantha. She has something to ask her, so she supposed she has to eat the humble pie.

"What do you want, tomboy?" Samantha snapped.

Cagalli bit her lip and tried to ignore her hostile tone. "Have you seen Alix?"

Samantha smirked and folded her arms. "Have you?"

Cagalli closed her eyes and counted to five. How she hated the conceited look on Samantha Whitley now. "No. That's why I'm asking you. She's not in for any of the classes today. I tried calling her, but her cell phone was off."

Samantha snorted. "I see."

Cagalli narrowed her eyes. "So?"

"So, I'm not obliged to tell you." Samantha replied. Then she gasped. "Why am I talking to you anyway?"

"I knew I shouldn't have approached you, bimbo." Cagalli spat.

Samantha laughed, which sounded quite displeasing to Cagalli's ears. "But you still did, tomboy!"

A punch was instantly delivered towards Samantha's face but she dodged it effortlessly. "Your moves are so predictable, tomboy. You use violence whenever things don't go your way. Just stay away from Alix, from us, ok? Ah! Maybe I should modify your alias… barbaric tomboy sounds perfect!"

Cagalli hissed. And a warning instantly rose in Samantha's mind. She started to prepare her legs…

Not long after, the corridor echoed their endless hollers.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Shinn beamed as he recalled the Professor's words to him.

"_That was very well presented, Shinn!" The professor praised, seeing Shinn in a different light. "Your analysis was very in-depth!"_

Result? Their group got an A-star. The look on Daniel and his group members were priceless when the grades were announced. Their group managed a mere C.

All of a sudden, he became the most popular boy in his class.

Shinn thought he has Alix to thank for, and as he walked, he realized he has reached the gates of Onogoro High. He scratched the back of his head while smiling goofily at himself. Obliviously, he has come for Alix as he thought about her.

Anyhow, he was glad he made it in time. From the looks of it, it seemed that classes were just over in Onogoro High. He craned his neck high and low, his red eyes roaming from student to student as they passed by him in groups and cars.

After a while…

Shinn sighed when the last of the students passed by him.

There were still no signs of Alix.

He decided to wait a bit.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Alix suddenly thought of Shinn. The image of him just popped up suddenly in her mind. She started to wonder how he fared for his case study.

"Alix?" Gladys thought something went wrong for the operation system they were working on when Alix suddenly spaced out. "What's wrong?"

Alix shook her head. "Nothing. I just thought of Cagalli." She thought it was unnecessary to mention about Shinn when her mother was very strict with them in meeting strangers. She pushed Shinn to the back of her mind as she remembered Cagalli's request.

Gladys removed her glasses, giving Alix her full attention. "What about Cagalli?"

Alix thought about it a minute. There was no easy way to say it. She removed her hands from the keyboard and folded them together on her laps. "She wanted to tag along to Helipolis."

Gladys frowned. "How come she knows?"

"I told her about it." Alix lied cleverly. Cagalli would get into big trouble if it was known she actually eavesdropped conversations between ministers, in which, Alix was sure, Cagalli have done it more than once.

Gladys emitted a sigh of displeasure. "Why did you tell her? It was supposed to be top military secret!"

"Huh?" Alix was completely lost. Since when a mere internship could turn into a top military secret?

Gladys shook her head. Alix didn't know the full story _yet_. She thought of _showing_ it to her when they are in Helipolis. "Never mind. But Cagalli can't go."

"But-"

"What we're going to do there is out of her league."

The discussion ended then and there. Gladys's tone left her no room for protest. But inwardly, Alix knew Cagalli would not be deterred.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Shinn rubbed the coldness off his arms and scanned the surroundings once more.

His sighed.

Still no signs of Alix.

He glanced at his wristwatch and widened his eyes. Obliviously, three hours have passed since he waited for Alix at the gates.

He sighed again.

Then his cell phone rang. It was Mayu. Shinn answered it with another sigh. "Yes, my lady?"

Mayu has forgotten her keys.

"That was clumsy of you, Mayu." Shinn chided, feeling the disappointment of unable to meet up with Alix building up from within. "Stay at the porch, I'll be right back." With that, Shinn hung up and reached into the side pocket of his bag where his keys were.

Or _supposed_ to be.

He dug deep, but his keys were just not found. Out of frustration, Shinn poured all the contents in his bag on the ground. Pencil box… books… everything was intact except his keys.

"Damn!" Shinn cursed before throwing everything back into his bag again.

Did he leave his keys at home too? No, he was sure it was always in his bag.

Which means…

He lost his keys.

He must have dropped it somewhere… somehow. His crimson orbs instinctively scanned the grounds nearby, but he saw nothing of his keys.

Anyhow, Mayu came first.

Shinn gave Onogoro High one last glance before running off to catch the first bus that came along at the bus stop down the road.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Roy watched Alix from the rearview mirror. She was looking out from the window, lost in her own thoughts. He knew something was troubling her the moment he saw her again.

Alix worried about Cagalli. She wondered how she should go about telling her that her mother disapproved her tagging along with them to Helipolis. One way or another, she knew Cagalli would go there, which was the matter that has been weighing on her mind since she left the laboratory.

It was wartime after all.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Roy spoke, "Do you want me to return the keys for you?"

Alix blinked, unable to catch on at the first moment.

"That Shinn-kun's." Roy reminded. He thought of asking her this morning but pushed the thought aside when he saw her engrossed typing away in her notebook while he was driving her to the lab.

Alix nodded upon realization. "Oh…" She dug for the keys in her bag and whirled them around her index finger when she found them. "Thanks for reminding me."

'_I never intended to.'_ "I can return it for you if you want." Roy offered. At the back of his mind, he wished that Alix wouldn't meet Shinn again. Somehow, he felt that Shinn Asuka was ominous for Alix

"It's alright. Let's go to his house now." Alix replied, oblivious to Roy's thoughts. A breather amidst her hectic schedule would serve her well. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was ten minutes before five. "I hope he's home already."

Roy fell silent and watched Alix from the rearview mirror as he pulled the car to a halt at the sight of the red light.

"What is it?" Alix prodded. Roy looked like he has something to say.

"Nothing." But inwardly, he wished that Shinn Asuka was not at home.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Mayu was sitting on their house porch pouting when a car she thought looked familiar stopped by the pavement. She pulled herself to feet and perked up when she saw Alix stepping out of the car.

She sprinted towards her.

"Aren't you the onechan from yesterday?" Mayu asked, looking sweetly up at Alix.

Alix smiled, recognizing her as Shinn's sister. "Yes. I came to return this." She held up the keys in her hand. "Shinn-"

"Ooo! Just what I needed!" Mayu exclaimed. Without a second thought, Mayu grasped Alix's hand and pulled her along to their house. "Would you like to have some tea? I know you do!"

Alix was _in_ the house before she could help it.

Mayu whirled around, hoping to invite Alix's chauffer too when she saw that the car was not at the pavement anymore.

"Eh? Where has your chauffer gone?" Mayu asked, looking around for the mysterious car at the doorway.

Alix absolutely had no idea. "He probably went to park his car."

"I see." Mayu then led Alix into the living room. "Have a seat while I go make some tea!"

Alix nodded and helped herself to a seat on the settee. From the looks of it, it seemed that the rest of the Asukas was not at home.

As if reading her thoughts, Mayu shouted from the kitchen. "My parents were always working late, so they're not at home now. I forgot my keys, that's why I was sitting on our porch. Why is onichan's keys with you? Oh, by the way, he's coming back now. "

"I see… hmmm, he dropped it in my car." Alix shouted back, craning her neck to see Mayu shuffling her feet to and fro in the kitchen. "Do you need my help?"

"No, no!" Mayu hollered back. "Just stay where you are!"

**+ Destiny Child +**

Shinn frowned when he saw there was no one at the porch of their house. Even so when he noticed their door was ajar.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Alix was admiring the family photos on the mantelshelf when she heard a rather pissed voice booming from the doorway.

"Mayu?" Shinn hollered as he marched right in, never stopping in his tracks.

Alix turned her head just in time to catch Shinn throwing his bag at her. Something hard, seemingly a thick book in his bag, hit her forehead. Shinn thought he saw someone from the corners of his eyes. His first thought was Mayu, but his mind quickly registered that the violet locks does not belong to his little sister.

He froze when he realized it was Alix!

Alix rubbed the bruise on her forehead as she stood up to greet Shinn with a forced smile. "Wel… welcome home."

"Uh..yeah, I'm… home." Shinn stuttered, then shook his head to clear his stultified mind. "I'm sorry! That must have hurt!"

"A little." Alix admitted.

Shinn panicked and held up a hand at her. "Stay where you are! I'll go get the first-aid box!"

"Don't both…" Alix trailed off, for Shinn already dashed into the kitchen.

A hushed yet audible conversation between the Asuka siblings was then heard from the kitchen.

"You're back!" Mayu was heard first.

"Why didn't you tell me that Alix is here?" Shinn snapped in frustration.

"You know now. Are you happy she's here? I know you do! Why are you digging the first-aid box?"

"I hurt Alix."

"You beat her?"

"Hell, of course not!"

"Oh God, what happened?"

When Mayu reappeared with a tray of tea in her hands, a look of concern was sprayed across her face. "What has my stupid onichan done to you?"

Alix shook her head. "It's nothing reall-"

"Woahh! What a big bruise you have there!" Mayu interjected, fingering Alix's fringe to get a better look. "Does that hurt? I know it does!"

Shinn was suddenly by her side with a bottle of ointment in his hands. He apologized again and hastily dabbed some ointment in his hands. Without hesitation, he rubbed Alix's forehead with it.

Alix winced. "Itaii…"

"Sorry, sorry. I'll be gentler."

Silence took over. As Shinn was rubbing Alix's forehead, there was this rising tingling sensation that coursed through every nerve of her body. It was the first time after all, that a boy was this up close with her.

Alix didn't realize she was blushing until she saw Shinn blushed, in which Shinn blushed because he saw Alix blushed, which it also dawned on him the physical closeness of their bodies. Their thighs were between each other and his hands, one of them was rubbing Alix's forehead while the other was staying near Alix's neck.

Mayu's giggles snapped the moment.

Both of them turned to look at Mayu as one, though with different facial expressions. Alix was staring on innocently while Shinn shot her a look of annoyance.

Mayu ignored her brother and smiled at Alix. "Alix-nechan, would you like to stay for dinner? I know you do!"

Alix chuckled. She wondered whether Mayu realized she always said "I know you do!" almost after every question she asked.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Mayu cried, clasping her hands together. "You get to taste Chef Shinn's cooking, which you wouldn't get it anywhere else!"

Shinn and Alix turned to look at each other then. A coy smile spread across Alix's lips while Shinn scratched the back of his head bashfully.

Since then, their acquaintance evolved.


	7. His & Her Lives

**Chapter 7: His and Her Lives**

Hot chocolate delivery specially for you!

I mixed it with:-

One teaspoon of hug,

Two teaspoons of smile and

Three teaspoons of care!

Hope it lasts you through the day!

Alix smiled at the cell phone message that Shinn just sent her. An indistinguishable sweet feeling arose from the bottom of her heart as she flipped close her cell phone and turned her gaze up the azure sky. It has been two weeks since they have known each other. Other than shuffling between home and lab for the past fourteen days, Alix has been spending most of her free time with Shinn.

And last night, they just held hands.

"Yo!"

Alix jumped at the sudden interruption. Her hands flew to her heart as she spun around to catch Cagalli behind her under the Sakura tree.

They had agreed to meet there.

"Don't do that!" Alix chided, her heart pounding hard against her chest.

Cagalli snorted and folded her arms across her chest. "Serves you right for ignoring my calls! Do you know how anxiously I waited just for you to call back?"

"I meant to talk to you face-to-face." Alix defended.

"And you need two weeks for that?" Cagalli retorted, staring at Alix unbelievably.

Now, Alix felt guilty. Her mind and soul has been with Shinn for the past two weeks. But human nature prompted her to be defensive. "I was… held up… in the lab for the past two weeks."

Cagalli didn't seem appeased. She turned her face away. Alix sighed and decided to use the 'soft' way. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to ignore you."

Cagalli glanced at Alix from the corners of her eyes. The dark rings still hung around her eyes, which probably meant that she was not having a good time either. Besides, she knew at the back of her mind that it was not Alix's nature to fail her words. "Fine. So how was it?"

Alix shook her head.

Cagalli let out a loud sigh and slumped against the tree trunk, obviously disappointed. "I should have expected it."

"Perhaps I could do the surveying in your place." Alix offered, taking up a space beside Cagalli.

"No." Cagalli shook her head. "I must do this myself."

"How?" Alix countered. "It will be dangerous. The-"

"I must go to Helipolis!" Cagalli interjected, determined. "No matt-"

"Boo!"

Both Cagalli and Alix jumped at the sudden voice at their ears. They spun around together to catch Samantha behind them with her hands on her hips.

"Don't do that!" Cagalli and Alix shouted as one.

Samantha ignored their outburst and instead waved her index finger at their faces. "I knew something was going on between the both of you. Helipolis huh?" With that, she narrowed her eyes at Alix. "Don't tell me you've been missing dinner at home for the past two weeks just to plan this tomboy's getaway… what has gotten over you, Alix? You've always been the sensible one!"

'_No. I've been missing dinner at home lately so I could be with Shinn.'_ "I-"

"What do you know, bimbo?" Cagalli interjected, sidestepping Alix and advancing a challenging step towards Samantha. The annoying bimbo has been yapping as if she was not around.

And one, could only take so much.

"I'm going to tell Uncle about this, that's what I know." Samantha countered, stepping forward to come chest to chest with Cagalli.

Then both of them started to talk… or rather shout at the same time, drawing stares from bypassing students.

Alix slapped her forehead in exasperation. She has seen this scene a thousand times. "Knock it off, you two."

The blonde cousins ignored her. Instead, their voices went higher. Alix closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I said, STOP IT!"

Cagalli and Samantha fell silent instantly and turned to look at her, their eyes wide.

Alix threw her hands up in the air. "Why do you two always have to disagree with each other?"

Cagalli and Samantha stayed silent. It was a question they never really given it a thought and perhaps, never have an answer to. It was just the way for the both of them since they were kids.

The bell rang following their silence. Alix shook her head and walked away from the both of them without another word. Both tired to call out to her but both stopped in midair when they saw each other trying to do the same thing.

"Look what you've done, tomboy." Samantha uttered disdainfully, staring after Alix's diminishing back.

"That should be my dialogue!" Cagalli retorted. "We were doing fine until you booed us!"

"You two were doing things behind my back!" Samantha argued, sweeping a lock of her blonde hair away from her eyes in frustration. "I felt betrayed being left out like that! Get this in your head, Cagalli Yula Attha. Alix is MY best friend, not yours! Oh! Did I mention that she is MY sister too?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes in exasperation. She couldn't believe Alix and Samantha were of the same age. The vast difference in their maturities just doesn't make sense. "Look, let's stop these juvenile arguments. It gets us nowhere. Alix is angry. I've never seen her so angry before. "

"Either have I." Samantha agreed.

Both went silent for a moment.

Then realization hit.

They actually agreed with each other five seconds ago… for the first time.

They stared at each other in amazement.

"Did we just…?" Samantha trailed off, shaking her head in denial.

Cagalli snorted and gave a wry smile. "It seemed so. And we have Alix to thank for."

Samantha elbowed Cagalli at that. There was tease in her eyes when Cagalli shot her back with a what-was-that-for scowl. Samantha let out a hearty laugh when she saw the expression on Cagalli's face. Somehow, it seemed funny to her at that point of time. Though Cagalli thought Samantha had gone crazy, she couldn't deny that her laugh was contagious.

For the first time, Samantha Whitley and Cagalli Yula Attha shared a paroxysm of laughter.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Alix played with the pen in her hands. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on her class, the empty seat diagonally behind her would always distract her. Cagalli had skipped the class and Alix wondered where she could have gone. She also started wondering whether she was being too harsh just now.

It was partly her fault after all.

She should have told Cagalli straightaway about the outcome instead of delaying till she returned back to school, which was already two weeks after. She should have told Samantha about Shinn instead of leaving her guessing why she has been returning home later than she usually does for the past two weeks.

Shinn… Shinn Asuka.

At the thought of him, Alix got to admit the boy was a huge distraction in her life for the past two weeks. From the casual walk down the streets to watching the sunset together, every moment spent with him was filled with joy. The kind of joy that was distinctively different when she was with Samantha or Cagalli or Roy. And Alix wanted to be certain that this joy could be sustained between the both of them before taking their relationship into another level – introducing him into her clique.

Alix sighed and glanced at her cell phone tucked visibly in her bag, wishing it to ring somehow.

It did.

Somewhat surprised, Alix lifted her vibrating cell phone gingerly out of her bag, at the same time casting furtive glances at the Professor, who was writing away on the whiteboard. She couldn't help but smile when she saw 'Shinn' flashing on the screen. Carefully, she held up the book on her desk and lowered her head behind it before she answered the call in a whisper. "Hello?"

"It's me." Shinn said cheerfully on the other line.

Alix held her smile. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I know but… I couldn't help thinking about last night…"

Alix bit her lower lip in anticipation. She knew what Shinn was saying. She too, has been thinking about last night, where they have started holding hands. The feeling was awkward, yet at the same time, there was infinite sweetness in it.

Of course, the thoughts came to a screech halt after she met up with Cagalli.

Anyhow, she wished she could see him now. "Uh huh…"

"And I thought I want to feel it again… you know, your hand in mine."

"Oh."

Shinn could picture her smiling on the other line. He took one deep breath before saying the one fact that caused Alix to become the centre of attention in her class. "Actually, I'm at the gates of your school right now."

"Huh?" Alix cried out, totally not expecting this from Shinn.

Professor Stone whirled around upon hearing the outburst. He shot her a scowl when he saw the cell phone in her hands. All eyes were on her as she realized that her cover was blown.

"Ms Whitley." Professor Stone addressed, scrutinizing Alix with disapproval from behind his glasses.

Dreadfully, Alix stood up.

"Is the person you're talking to so important that you have to disregard the whole class?"

The words were out from her mouth before she could help it. "Actually, it's my mother."

The scowl on Professor Stone instantly dissipated. Alix grabbed the chance. "Something cropped up for one of the projects we've been working on for the past few months and hmm… my mother was telling me about it over the phone."

Professor Stone nodded in understanding. "I see. It must be serious for her to call you and tell you all that. Does she need you over there?"

Alix pretended to hesitate, almost knowing the outcome. "But I'm in class right now."

"By all means, go if you're needed. Send my regards to Professor Whitley."

Inwardly, Alix cheered. "Thank you for your understanding, Professor Stone. I will."

With that, she packed her bags and headed for the gates.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Athrun inspected himself in the mirror.

Perfect.

He was dressed in a slick black tuxedo and his dark blue hair was fashionably styled in place.

In short, he was all ready to go.

It was a bright sunny afternoon and in another approximate ten minutes time, his engagement with Lacus Clyne would be official and announced to the whole world.

Lacus.

The past two weeks spent with the pink princess has been… relaxed. They dated like any other couple and Athrun was glad for Lacus's company. She was so sweet, so nice, so understanding and so very cute.

Athrun never thought he deserved a girl like her.

"Halo! Halo!"

At the voice, Athrun turned his head just in time to prevent the robotic pet he made for Lacus from smacking right at his face. When he got Halo out of his face, Lacus was standing by the doorway, smiling ever so sweetly at him.

"Athrun." Lacus greeted.

"Lacus." Athrun greeted back in a bare whisper. He was having difficulty drawing a breath. The vision before him was simply enthralling enough for him to ignore Halo, who was springing to and fro between the both of them.

Lacus was donning a royal blue gown with a scooped neck that was neither revealing nor concealing. The gown fitted her in all the right places and her pink locks was scooped up in fashionable braids in which some of them fell around her slender shoulders.

In short, Lacus simply radiated loveliness.

Both of them were absorbed in the moment before they were interrupted by Elsie, Lacus's lady-in-waiting.

"Lacus-sama?" Elsie called out from behind Lacus. When she saw Athrun, she made a polite bow and greeted him. "Athrun-sama."

Athrun nodded, acknowledging her. "Is it time?"

"Yes." Elsie replied with a smile. She thought the two clearly looked lovely together.

Like they said, it was a match made in heaven.

**+ Destiny Child +**

On Earth, another match was enjoying their time together. Hand in hand, Shinn and Alix perambulated the streets of Onogoro Island. They came to a halt when they saw a crowd gathering upfront.

Curious, they walked closer to them.

All of them were looking up at the large plasma screen. Alix followed their gazes and squinted her eyes at the plasma screen while using her free hand to shield her vision from the midday sun. "What's going on?"

Shinn shrugged, "Who knows?"

"Look, it's Sigel Clyne!" Someone in the crowd exclaimed when the leader of PLANT appeared behind a stand in the screen. The crowd became excited and even more when the camera shifted to focus her daughter, Lacus Clyne, beside him. Animated conversations started flowing and it wasn't long before the people inside the screen held on to everybody's attention in the streets.

Even Shinn, Alix noticed, had his eyes glued on the screen. He was frowning, as if he was trying to listen what the leader of PLANT was announcing amidst the boisterous crowd.

But to Alix, it was the man standing behind the Sigel Clyne that caught her attention. He donned the military uniform and has similar built as the PLANT Chairman. From the badges on his uniform, Alix knew he wasn't an ordinary officer serving the military. He was a stern-looking man, in Alix's opinion – One who hardly managed a decent laugh, much less a simple smile.

But beyond the tough exterior, Alix thought she saw something else. Though he remained pokerfaced as his superior made his speech, his ice-cold watchful eyes showed sorrow… no. Desolation was the better word.

"Are you thirsty?"

Alix tore her gaze away from the screen upon Shinn's interruption. Beads of perspiration glided down from her forehead and Shinn dabbed it off with his handkerchief.

Both shared a smile at the show of affection.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

Alix watched Shinn as he crossed the road to the drinks store on the opposite side of the road before returning her attention to the screen.

It was _his_ turn to make a speech.

As he spoke, the camera shifted to his side to focus on a young man beside him, which was reportedly his son. Comments about how gorgeous the lad was waved across the crowd immediately. It dawned on Alix then, that a political marriage or rather engagement, was taking place. As she watched the ceremony taking place, she couldn't help but overhear:-

"Don't you think she looks like that Zala boy?"

"Who?"

"The one with the ponytail."

"Which one? I saw four."

"The cute one in khaki jumpsuit."

"You mean the violet-haired one?"

Alix glanced down at herself upon overhearing that. _'Pontyail. Khaki jumpsuit. Violet hair. Isn't that me?'_ She glanced up with the intention to find the two talkers only to realize she has gained oblivious attention of the strangers near her. All of them were openly finger-pointing and staring at her as they compared her to the well-dressed blue-haired boy in the screen in whispers.

One of them, a boy not older than twenty, stepped forward eagerly. "Let's be friends, miss. What's your name?"

Awkward, Alix turned to walk away.

The boy tried to follow, but found himself grabbed by the collar to come face to face with a pair of malicious green eyes…

**+ Destiny Child +**

When Shinn was about to cross the road with a pair of fruit juices in his hands, he found Alix waving at him on the opposite side of the road, away from the crowd. He smiled at her before crossing over to reunite with her. He handed her one of the fruit juices before taking her hand into his again. Together, they walked further away from the crowd and the plasma screen.

It was then the cameras started flashing in the screen, zooming in on Athrun and Lacus, announcing, "From this moment, Zala and Clyne shall become one."

**+ Destiny Child +**

In another state of ORB, a green robotic bird flapped his wings across the azure sky to land itself on an opened book beneath a tree. The book glided slightly upon the landing to reveal a brown-haired boy in his siesta…


	8. Collective Turbulence

**Chapter 8: Collective Turbulence**

Gladys pursed her lips as she placed the receiver back on the phone, her cautious eyes never leaving the news screen on the wall of the Lab.

So, her brother was engaged.

'_Athrun Zala-kun'_

He has indeed grown up to be a fine young man. And Alix, with the exception of hair color, has turned out to look just like him. The similarities were startlingly obvious, especially the eyes. Both siblings have inherited the delicate features of their late mother. For a moment, Gladys wondered whether the day would come for Alix to be reunited with her family.

Gladys shook her head at that thought. She would NEVER allow _that_ to happen. She and Samantha were her family now… now and forever, period.

At the thought of _her_ second daughter, Gladys frowned and pressed the speaker button on the phone.

A voice immediately came on. "Yes, Gladys-sama?"

"Find out what Alix is doing now." Gladys bade as she switched off the news screen and leaned back on her wing chair.

The voice on the other line hesitated. "But isn't Roy-"

"You heard me." Gladys interjected with a hint of impatience.

"Hai."

And the line went dead after that.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Roy watched as Shinn and Alix walked together hand in hand among the people in a distance somewhere in front of him. Alix was laughing at something Shinn said, and though he found her expression extremely alluring, he found it extremely unsettling too.

A feeling of regret washed over him.

He should have intercepted their coming together when he had the chance.

But, would Alix be as happy as she was now? Every part of her radiated joy ever since she has known Shinn.

As long as she was happy, wasn't that enough…?

He halted in his tracks and slipped into a corner when he saw them stopped by a snack bar. Shinn bought some candies and offered some of them to Alix.

Roy smirked. For as long as he remembered, Alix never had the sweet tooth for candies. _'She only like chocolate ice cream, you naïve fool.'_

And so he was surprised when Alix popped them into her mouth. Shinn even had the audacity to feed her some more and brushed his thumb across her mouth after that.

All of a sudden, he felt utterly annoyed with Shinn Asuka.

He wanted to punch him.

The oblivious pair continued walking and Roy followed with fists clenched at his sides. They turned at a corner and found themselves in front of a tarot shop. It was also then that Roy realized they were being followed. Two… no, three men in black suits were watching their every move. Two of them were directed in Alix's direction while the last one, Roy reckoned, was directed at him. And if he was not wrong, they have been following them since they left the plasma screen arena.

Damn. He has let his guard down to allow them get this far.

He tried to call Alix straightaway, to warn her, to get her prepared, but she rejected his call and even switched off her cell phone.

Roy muttered an expletive as he watched her shook her head at Shinn before entering the tarot shop with him.

Worried, he tried to follow, but a firm grip on his shoulders stopped him.

He turned around.

**+ Destiny Child +**

The tinkling of bells welcomed their presences. Shinn and Alix stood by the doorway to admire the different kinds of wind chimes hanging over the ceiling.

The shop appeared dark, purposely dimmed by the thick curtains draping the windows. All over the place, the shop was adorned with weird figurines and many other unusual adornments both of them had never seen before. As cooped as it seemed, the place felt ventilating and oddly enough, it smelled good too.

"Welcome."

The sudden husky voice by her ears startled Alix, for she almost faltered and clashed with the dangling wind chimes behind her had not Shinn's quick reflexes to tighten his clasp on her hand and pulled her back behind him.

"Sorry that I startled the young lady." The source of the voice came out from the shadows having said that.

Shinn and Alix backed off instinctively. They were surprised when they realized the voice belonged to a granny. She had shocking white hair that was loosely bounded behind her slouching back. She was dressed as mysterious as the shop. She was cloaked in black clothes and dangling weird accessories were all over her. Alix found it strange that she didn't hear her move before she uttered beside her.

And she was blind – Her pupils were totally white.

But besides that, she was a kind-looking granny.

Shinn straightened his shoulders as he stared at the old lady smiling at them. Her eyes looked creepy, in his opinion.

As if reading their minds, the granny assured with stretched-out hands, "Do not be afraid, my child."

Shinn and Alix turned to look at each other at that. Then Alix stepped forward and cleared her throat. "We're sorry to intrude, granny."

"No, no, not at all." The granny shook her head, holding on to her grandmotherly smile. "It's been a while since I had couples patronizing my shop. What can I do for you?"

Shinn and Alix looked at each other in question. How did the granny know they were a couple? She couldn't see… could she?

"We just happened to pass by." Shinn replied as he tried to wave his hand in front of the granny's face to confirm what he saw – that the granny was blind.

Alix mouthed "Don't." and pulled on his arm to stop him, lest the granny thought they were impudent. Shinn let up but pouted at Alix in response.

The granny's chuckle captured their full attention. "What a cute young couple you two are. I supposed both of you are thirteen… turning fourteen?"

Shinn and Alix widened their eyes in surprise. They haven't really said anything after they entered the shop, have they? The granny sounded as if she could see them. She was really… blind, wasn't she?

"I'm blind." The granny said when either Shinn or Alix answered her. "But I could still see." She paused, then explained, "With the heart, that is."

She continued as she felt Shinn and Alix taking in her words. "The eye of the heart is a gift far greater than your physical eyes but not all of us have it. But I know both of you do."

"How do you know?" Shinn asked.

The granny smiled. "I just do." She stepped forward and was glad when she didn't hear both of them backed off, that they were not afraid of her anymore. "Use the eye when you're lost. It will guide you a way out. But be mindful that it will be clouded by prevailing circumstances too."

"What do we do when that happens?" Alix asked.

"Lift yourself up from the circumstances. Clear your head." The granny drawled as a matter of fact. "Don't let the circumstances affect you. Let _you_ affect the circumstances."

Shinn and Alix thought about it a minute before the granny captured their attention again with another chuckle of hers.

"You come to understand someday. Come." With that, the granny shuffled her feet into the darkness. Shinn and Alix were surprised she could actually moved with such agility, given her age and physical condition.

Nonetheless, they followed.

They came into a corner where it was brighter. Scented candles were lighted at both sides of an oak table. In the middle, rested a typical crystal ball. The granny was already behind the table, seated with hands folded on the table behind the crystal ball.

"Would you like to try the couple compatibility fortune-telling?"

Alix shrugged, suggesting she left the decision to Shinn. Shinn looked at the crystal ball and smirked. "It won't kill, yeah sure."

They frowned when the granny shook her head at them. "It does. In fact, it's the reason why I don't have couples patronizing my shop anymore. Most of them come alone these days. Or with friends."

"What do you mean, granny?" Alix asked.

"In the past, I have many couples coming to see what Destiny awaits their relationship. But not all of them could see it. If they were not meant for each other, all they saw was a plain crystal ball." The granny explained. "Only true couples could see the words in the crystal ball. But even if they do, they might not be pleasant. It all depends on Destiny. What it has in store for you. The decision is yours. We could try others if you want to."

"If you want us to try others, why bother mentioning about the crystal ball in the first place?" Shinn countered. Alix pinched Shinn on his arm to remind him of his tone. Shinn retaliated by hushing her.

The granny smiled. "As I said, the decision is yours."

Shinn and Alix turned to look each other again. Shinn thought that was all he needed when Alix nodded her head.

"We'll try the crystal ball thingy." Shinn said.

"Please take your seats then." The granny replied.

Shinn and Alix obliged before the granny started to wave her hands over the crystal ball. When Shinn saw colours forming in the crystal ball, he turned to Alix. "I saw a variety of colors, Alix. Do you see it?"

Alix nodded absentmindedly, for the colors forming in the crystal ball was none other she has seen before. It was like the colours have a life of its own.

The granny smiled over Shinn's anxiety, at the same time glad for them that they could see the colors, which would later align themselves into words.

When Shinn and Alix saw words forming among the colours, they held their breaths and locked their hands together in anticipation. The vision of the words forming in the crystal ball only meant they were a true couple. They shared a smile at the thought of that.

Now, all that was left was what _it _wanted to tell them.

"You first." The granny instructed, 'looking' at Shinn.

Shinn squinted his eyes at the floating soggy words, making sure he would not misread any one of them. "It… was Fate… that… we once… met…"

When Shinn trailed off and looked at her, Alix thought she should continue, even though she could not see the complete formation of the words yet. "But it is… … our… … our… Destiny… to… … to be-"

"What?" Shinn interjected when Alix suddenly stopped herself and squeezed his hand. He squeezed hers back. "What… is it, Alix?"

"Apart."

Although Alix uttered the last word in a whisper, Shinn heard it all the same. They drifted into silence as both of them tried to digest the sentence in their minds.

"This is ridiculous!" Shinn spat at last, shoving his chair away as he stood up and pulled Alix to her feet. "We're getting out of here."

**+ Destiny Child +**

Not a word was exchanged between the both of them after they got out of the shop. Shinn regretted glancing at Alix the moment he saw how crestfallen she has gotten into. He decided to do something. It was his fault anyway, to want to patronize the stupid tarot shop in the first place.

When Alix felt Shinn pulling on her hand and not moving, she turned to look at him.

With a solemn look, Shinn declared, "No matter what happens, I'm never letting go of my hand." He affirmed his declaration by tightening his clasp on their joined hands and lifted them to his heart. Passersby were staring but he couldn't care.

Stunned and touched by the sincerity and determination in his statement, Alix was rendered speechless. God, she has only known this boy for a short while, yet she felt forever with him already. "Shinn…"

"This I swear, Alix." Shinn added. "Believe me. Believe _us_."

And that was all Alix needed to hear.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Samantha couldn't believe her eyes. She had to blink twice, thrice to make sure she was not imagining the figure in front of her. "Mom?"

Gladys whirled around upon hearing Samantha behind her, a glass of red wine in her hand. "Samantha, my dear daughter, you're home."

Samantha hesitated, narrowed her eyes, and then walked over to stand right in front of her mother. "Yes. But why are you?"

Her mother smiled, a look that Samantha didn't quite like. _'She must have something up her sleeves…'_

"This is my home too, honey." Gladys drawled, taking a savory sip of the red wine before continuing, "In case you've forgotten."

Samantha snorted and tossed her bag unceremoniously on the couch. "Save your reminders for yourself. I don't even remember the last time you're home."

"Alix do." Gladys countered, before she glanced around their mansion. "Speaking of which, where is your sister?"

Samantha shrugged, then dropped herself on the crouch. "Not with me."

Chouchou flew in at that moment and perched itself on Samantha's head. Amused, she started to play with the pet. Gladys downed the red wine and settled herself on the armchair opposite Samantha. "You didn't see her in school?"

"We were in different classes, Mom." Samantha replied as a matter of fact and did not even bother to glance at her mother when she said that.

Gladys nodded and set down the empty glass on the coffee table beside the armchair. "I thought you two were always together?"

Samantha rolled her eyes. "We're not Siamese twins, for God's sake. We have our individual curriculum of activities and not to mention, space." Then she remembered. "But I did saw her this morning with-"

"With?" Gladys probed when Samantha suddenly stopped herself. She tried to sound casual but Samantha, being a sensitive soul she was, knew where this conversation was leading. And she didn't like it. She stopped playing with Chouchou and squared her shoulders, letting her suspicious gaze to linger on her mother.

"Why are you asking me these?"

Gladys shrugged and titled her head to her side to rest on her palm. "Motherly concern."

Samantha smiled, knowing full well it wasn't. "Motherly concern huh…?""

So, her smile went as fast as it came. "What do you want this time?"

Gladys was about to speak when Alix came striding past the living room and saw them. By the way she looked; Gladys thought she was just as surprised as Samantha to see her at home. Or perhaps, there was something more…?

Nonetheless, Alix remembered her manners. "Mother."

"Alix." Gladys greeted back. She thought of wanting a private moment with this daughter when her other daughter waylaid her by jumping over the couch to go to her sister. Without a backward glance, Samantha pulled Alix along with her, leaving Chouchou tailing behind them. "It's so darn hot today! Let's have a bubble bath together, Alix!"

Gladys sighed and shook her head, letting her gaze to follow her two daughters as they made their way upstairs.

"Gladys-sama."

Gladys turned her head at the voice. She smirked when she saw it was him. "Roy."

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Why did you switch off your cell phone?" Samantha asked Alix the moment they were alone in their bigger-than-an-average-bedroom bathroom. "God knows how many times I've tried calling you! Where have you been this afternoon?"

"I skipped my class and went for a date."

Because Alix was in the midst of pulling her blouse over her head when she said that, Samantha thought she had misheard her words. "What?"

Alix sighed and tossed her blouse into the laundry basket. She guessed it was time to tell. "I said I skipped class to go for my date."

Samantha's jaw dropped open, surprise etched across her face. Then came the slow easy grin. "Still waters run deep indeed. AH!"

Alix backed up a step at Samantha's yelp. She thought Samantha was realizing something but she didn't know what. She decided to ask. "What?"

"So, it's all because of HIM!"

"Huh?"

Samantha ignored Alix's questioning look and started muttering to herself. "Those smiling-to-yourself spacing out moments… late night calls, secretive calls… missing breakfasts and dinners…" Samantha shook her head while she said all that. "You were even smiling at your own notebook! Gosh! I should have known!"

"Ah… well…" was all Alix could say.

Samantha threw her arms over Alix's shoulders, her grin intact. "I can forgive you for not telling me earlier but NOW, you have to tell me EVERYTHING!" She let out a playful chuckle before continuing, "So tell me, how long has you two been going on already? Do I know this lucky boy? Is he one of ours? What's his name? How does he look like? How old is he? Where does he live? How you guys started? Ah! Have you guys kissed?"

"Sam!" Alix pulled out of Samantha's grasp around her shoulders and felt her face reddened in color.

Samantha giggled mischievously but didn't let up. Rather, she was enjoying Alix's embarrassment over the last question. Her sister looked damn amusing whenever she was embarrassed. She decided to tease her a bit. "Come on, that was a natural phenomenon between couples. Did he use his tongue?"

Alix rolled her eyes exasperatedly and walked away from Samantha and towards the bathtub. "Shut up."

Eyebrows shot up. "Come on, Alix!"

**+ Destiny Child +**

As much as she respected and loved her mother, she was somehow afraid of her. Especially during the moments when she was alone with her.

A feeling of dread crept down her spine as she made her way down the hallway to the study room – where her mother was.

Both Samantha and her thought her mother was gone by the time they came out from the bathroom an hour later. But apparently she did not when Mira came up to them and announced that their mother wanted to talk to her – alone.

Their shared smiles all but died on them.

Samantha wanted to tag along, but she thought she should do it alone, though she was having a bad feeling about it.

'_The project was going well, so what could it be…?'_

She reached the study room.

Roy was standing outside leaning casually on the doorway with his hands tucked into his pockets and gaze on the polished marble floor. He straightened his shoulders when he saw her.

Without a word, he opened the oak door for her.

Without a word, she walked passed him.

"Alix."

She managed to only hear the 'ix' but she turned her head anyway. "Yes?"

Roy stared at her for a moment with a tongue-tied look. Then his green orbs went to the floor. "Nothing."

**+ Destiny Child +**

They were in the middle of their make up science lesson when they were interrupted by two staff of their Academy. After they got the permissible nod from Professor Kato, the two personnel breezed in and placed a desk and a chair at the corner of the classroom. With a nod of courtesy at the Professor, they retreated out of the room.

Piqued by the additional desk and chair, the students in the classroom started their discussion about it, their attention totally grabbed by the additional furniture in the room.

"Professor Kato!" Tolle Koenig raised his hand, wanting to confirm the existence of the additional furniture. "Why are we having an additional desk and chair? Are we having a new classmate?"

The whole class immediately fell silent at the question.

Professor Kato pushed the rim of his glasses before replying. "Yes. We are having a transfer student from Onogoro High sometime soon."

The whole class went "Oww…" at the answer. To them, Onogoro High was a prominent school that existed in a faraway land, for the only way they got to know _the_ school was through media. Never once would they dream that they would have one of their own to join their humble world.

"Professor Kato!" Tolle Koenig raised his hand again, getting more excited now. "Are we having a new boy or girl?"

The whole class immediately fell silent at the question again.

Professor Kato sighed. "You'll know when the time comes. Okay now, let's get back to where we stopped."

The class though disappointed at the answer, nevertheless resumed their attentions to their books. As for Kira Yamato, he turned to look at the new desk and chair beside him, wondering how their new classmate would be like.


	9. The Breakup

**Chapter 9: The Breakup**

Shinn never saw it coming.

Every date, every moment spent together has been happy, sweet, perfect.

His friends were waving and calling out to him but he could not care. Alix's words kept playing over and over in his mind.

"_I'm leaving for Helipolis for three years."_

Leave.

He never thought _this_ word would come between them.

Never.

But he should have guessed something was wrong when Alix started acting weird around him. She seemed to cling on every moment with him, started to look preoccupied most of the time, in which the only answer he got from her was a shake of her head.

Then, she paid a surprise visit to _his_ school, something un-Alix in his opinion – for her to pop by without informing earlier.

He was in the midst of his hockey practice in the school field when he caught her on the audience bench. Her violet tresses danced playfully on her shoulders when the breeze passed by, making her looking all the more beautiful in her pale pink dress. She smiled and waved to him the moment his head was turned at her.

Feeling delighted yet suspicious at the same time, he excused himself from his gawking teammates and jogged over to her.

"Hey, I thought we are only meeting tomorrow?"

"I just wanted to see you."

He smiled, obviously satisfied with her answer. "Do you want a dr-"

The sudden movement of Alix's hand brushing across his hair distracted him. Or rather, it disturbed him. He caught her hand and looked straight into her jade eyes. "What's wrong, Alix?"

Her wistful gaze dropped to his feet.

He squeezed her hand and nudged her chin up. "What is worrying you?"

Alix slid her hand off his and turned to glance at his friends, who were pushing and elbowing each other while inching their way nearer to them as they speak. "Can we have a moment?"

He followed her gaze and rolled his eyes at his insensitive friends. With a grunt of exasperation at them, he took her under one of the trees rooted at the corner of the field.

There, was where everything ended.

"I'm leaving for Helipolis." Alix stated, not meeting his worried gaze.

He nodded. He remembered Alix mentioning her three month internship to the ORB colony before.

"I won't be back for a short while."

Then he thought he knew what was weighing on her mind. "The internship was extended? How long? Six months? Is that wh-"

"Not months." Alix interjected. There was a pause. "It's three years… or perhaps more.. I.. I don't know."

His words all but died within him. It took him a moment to register what Alix was trying to tell him. "Three.. Three years…?"

"There was a change of plans!" Alix quickly explained. "I'm… I'm transferring there instead."

Alix bit her lips tentatively when Shinn did not answer. "I'm leaving for Helipolis for three years."

Still, Shinn kept to his own. He turned away when Alix tried to reach him. He felt awful. He felt abandoned!

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes when Alix looked away from Shinn. The way he was reacting to her announcement and the resentment in his eyes affected her more than she had expected it to. She felt awful. She felt abandoned!

Heavy silence hung in the air between them until Alix saw Roy beckoning her in the distance.

It was time to go.

"I gotta go."

The whispered words hit Shinn like a bee sting. He grabbed her wrist when she passed him. "No…"

Alix gently pulled away his grasp.

Then, she was gone.

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Can you take me to Onogoro High?"

Without a word but a simple nod of his head, Roy started the car.

Throughout the journey, he cast occasional glances at Alix from the rearview mirror. Her eyes were misty and he knew she was trying very hard to keep the tears within her eyes. Her heart was broken alright.

No.

Shattered was the better word.

Since the moment she came out from the study room that day, everything was black and white to her. She cried every night. He knew she did. Because her eyes were always red and swollen the morning after. Conversations were rare, even to Samantha. Though her sister let up on her, she was nevertheless outraged on Alix's behalf. But after a huge harsh exchange with their mother, the matters stayed the same nonetheless.

Somehow, it affected him too. He was feeling rather blue and prickly most of the time these days.

Shinn Asuka was the only one who managed to lift Alix's spirits up a little. Her smiles would only appear around him, though not as carefree as before.

But it was still a telltale sign. Yet _the fool_ went through their remaining time together ignorant of what was going on in Alix's mind. – until today.

He remembered feeling justified when he saw the look on Asuka's face after he surmised Alix had told him her plans. _'Good riddance'_ was the first thing that popped into his mind.

Then, he saw Alix's look. It was devastating. He rather be the one suffering what she was suffering now. But she should have known. She should have known _her mother_ would intervene and end all of this for her.

Gladys had a 'little talk' with him that day. Of course, he was 'reprimanded' over his responsibility over Alix, that he should have reported to her the moment Alix got 'sidetracked by some attractive boulders along the way'.

"_Think big, Roy. Think big."_ Was what Gladys told him then.

Having her precious daughters to end up with some ordinary citizens in the streets was crap in her mind and over her dead body would she allow that to happen. She even went on questioning on how long he planned to keep this affair from her had not her coincidental call to Professor Stone to ask for Alix, and the level of credibility she should bestow to him now that things has gone this far.

But all that was insignificant to what she said last. It was still etched freshly in his mind.

"_I guess I have to bring forward the plan for Alix."_

"_What plan?"_ He asked then.

Other than planning to use Alix for her lifetime for her talent in science and engineering, Roy never knew Gladys have _other _plans for her.

"_Wedding plans."_

He was certainly caught off guard by the announcement. Alix was like… thirteen? Turning only fourteen this summer? His usual stolid facade must have revealed stupefaction then, for Gladys quickly added, _"Of course, I know they're still too young for it. But at least an engagement would ease my worries."_

He guessed he should have read between the lines of _"Think big."_

And he bet that Alix was still oblivious that she was to be married off to some spoiled rich brat in PLANT when she reached the age.

At first thought, Roy thought it was a haste decision made on Gladys' part. But after she elaborated the details, he decided it was not a haste decision after all.

It was a well thought-out plan that was merely brought forward due to the _unforeseen_ circumstances. A well thought-out plan to gain more power, a firm strong foothold over the three most powerful governments in the world.

In her plan, she involved her daughters – Samantha and Alix.

While she remained eminence grise in ORB, Samantha was to be married off to one of the higher-ups in Earth whereas Alix to one of the noble Coordinators in PLANT. All that would take place once they reached the age of twenty one, or perhaps earlier at the age of eighteen, depending on the prevailing circumstances.

A pretty ambitious mother at the expense of her daughters, in Roy's opinion.

For a moment, he wondered about Samantha's reaction, since she was the feistier of the two and would most likely defy against _the_ plan. Wondered about the man who could tame her defiant spine.

His thoughts were snapped when he heard the sound of sniffing.

He glanced at Alix from the rearview mirror once more.

Alix dabbed away her tears with the back of her hands. The conversation with her mother in the study room kept intruding in her mind, crushing her very ounce of hope she managed to build up at the back of her mind.

"_There was a change of plans, Alix."_ Gladys announced then. _"I cancelled your internship."_

Her momentary relief was crushed with the next announcement.

"_I'm moving us there instead."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_Though the project is coming to an end, there are lots of loose ends to tie. I figured one moth is insufficient. As our projects are based there, I thought it would be more convenient. Saves a lot of traveling tim-"_

"_I don't mind!"_

"_Well, I do. Besides, the Science Academy in Helipolis would serve you better. Their flexibility is what you need. You have been neglecting your responsibility in SA these days, isn't it? I was told you couldn't be found most of the time. I know it was not because of the project. "_

She couldn't come up with a denial fast enough to refute her mother. Her work as the chairwoman of the well-known eleemosynary organization has indeed slackened, for she used the time to spend it with Shinn.

"_I though you are the sensible daughter, Alix. I thought you are the other daughter who knows her priorities and needs no worries on my side. But it seems that I thought wrong."_

Her heart sank at that. She has always strived to meet up with her mother's expectations, strived to be the daughter she wanted her to be, and hearing that coming from her mother somehow crushed her efforts she has been putting for her role so far.

While she kept to her own, her mother tossed a file in front of her from the table drawers and spat, _"Shinn Asuka."_

Her eyes widened at the mention of the name. Her eyes darted on the file and stayed there. Without asking, she knew the contents of the file. Inside most probably housed the details of Shinn that she did not even know herself.

"_You thought I wouldn't know."_

"_I-"_

She was interrupted by her mother's hand. _"I understand you and Sam have reached that age already, and I can't help worrying for you more. Though Sam has boys hanging around her side too, she knows when to draw the line. You don't. You get absorbed with anyone who plays their cards right."_

"_Shinn is not that kind of boy!"_

"_How would you know? How long have you known him?"_

"_I know! I… just do. Time is not the problem."_

"_Well, he has not convinced me! As far as I know, you have neglected your responsibilities and even resorted to lying ever since you've known him. You really think I didn't know all that?"_

So, she was caught red-handed. She has lied not once, but a couple of times to the Professors in school that she was needed by her mother and vice versa to her mother and the Lab Assistants that she was needed at the SA – all that because she wanted to spend more time with Shinn.

And judging from the way her mother was confronting her regarding this issue, it seemed that she would not get things her way.

"_I'll strike a balance between work and play, I promise."_ She pleaded instead.

Her mother shook her head. _"I wonder how you're going to strike that balance when you allow it to be tipped in the first place!"_

"_Is that why you're moving us?"_ She asked bluntly with a hint of defiance.

Her mother must be shocked at her show of insolence, for she faltered a step with a gasp. _"I'm YOUR MOTHER! I have every reason to worry about the people you hang out with. You have a bright future, Alix. Don't ruin it for some boy who will leave you someday!"_

"_Shinn is not that kind of boy!"_

"_Why don't we let time prove it?"_

"We're there."

Roy's voice snapped her thoughts back to reality. She looked out from the car window and saw Onogoro High standing impressively spectacular in the sunlight. She stepped out of the car when Roy called out to her.

"The meeting with the SA council is at one." Roy reminded.

Alix nodded. "I know. I won't take long."

She took another step when Roy called out to her again.

"Do you… want me to accompany you?"

Alix shook her head with a glad yet weary smile. "I wanted to be alone. I'll be at the gardens."

**+ Destiny Child +**

It was a cloudy afternoon.

Alix could see cliques of students everywhere. Under the trees, along the pathways, on the benches, everywhere was filled with the liveness of the future generation of ORB. She chatted with some of her classmates along the way, waved gleefully to some others in the distance, and exchanged smiles with acquainted seniors.

She even made a discovery.

She actually had a fan club.

Two juniors, a boy and a girl, approached her coyly and introduced themselves as the president and vice-president of her club. They wished her all the best in their future endeavours and even gave her a little farewell gift – a jar of hand-made colour paper lucky stars, with each star representing each of the fan members' wishes to her.

Alix was touched by the show of appreciation, though the two juniors admitted they couldn't come up with ideas as big as Samantha's club, which left Alix wondering why she didn't hear Samantha mentioning about the clubs before. Her sociable sister should have known the existence of these clubs. Anyhow, she guessed she would only have to ask her later, together with what she got from _her _club.

At the sound of the bell signaling the end of their recess, the students started swarming their way to their classes. Within minutes, Alix was left alone in their school.. would-be ex-school gardens.

She glanced around and rubbed her arms a bit.

Gosh. She was going to miss all of these here.

And she was going to miss _him _the most.

Tears crept up at the corners of her eyes at the thought of _him._ She shook her head and turned her attention to the azure sky. She simply refused to cry.. not now, not anymore.

She focused on more pressing matters. Like one of the operating systems of the project needing her modifications. Like the shortage of rations that SA was facing, the growing numbers of orphans and homeless caused by the ongoing war, the rising resistances in the number of countries that SA, as ORB ambassador, was helping.

Like she wanted to believe in Shinn.

She shook her head the moment Shinn intruded her thoughts. She was supposed to make use of the time alone to clear her head, not to make it foggier than it already was.

She averted her attention to the jar of stars in her hands and gave it a little shake. She smiled at the thought that people loved her. But almost immediately, it also reminded her of the times that she sneaked out of the house late at night to go star-gazing with Shinn.

With a heavy sigh, she walked over to one of the trees and sat under it, determined to cast Shinn aside and come up with solutions for problems that SA was facing.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Roy watched her from a distance far enough to grant her privacy yet close enough for her protection.

Then, a figure caught his eyes. It was sprinting towards Alix's direction. He almost pulled up his gun when his brows instinctively furrowed at the realization of who it was.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Alix was deep in her thoughts when a shadow suddenly towered over her. She squinted her eyes against the silhouette and stared in absolute surprise at the panting figure once she realized who it was. "Shinn…?"

The sudden movement of Shinn dropping to his knees and embracing her rendered her speechless. Rather, his appearance _here_ rendered her speechless.

"I'm glad I made it in time." Shinn whispered breathlessly against her ears. He held her tighter at that.

Alix pulled back and studied Shinn. She resisted the urge to wipe away the sheen of perspiration on his face. "How do you know I'm here?"

"This is where we first met." Shinn answered as a matter of fact with a frown.

The words hit Alix like a splash of water. She had not realized why she chose to seek solace here until Shinn said it. A breeze passed by that moment, swaying their hair and the leaves around them.

For a moment, the world belonged to them.

Shinn was the first to snap out of their world. He pinched Alix on the cheeks.

Alix grimaced at the pain. "It hurts!"

"I hurt more!" Shinn retorted. "Who do you think you are, deciding matters on your own?"

"I-"

"You should have talked to me instead of keeping it everything inside you! We could have worked it out together! Do you know how worried I was for your recent behavior?" He paused and grabbed her hand. "Do you think I was joking when I said I'll never let go of my hand?"

Alix's gaze went down to the grass between them, making Shinn wonder whether he sounded too harsh with her. He gulped, thinking of the right words to amend the atmosphere between them.

"Ali-"

He was stopped short by Alix's embrace.

Alix was not sure whether it was the words or the act of him coming to her as if his life depended on it that brought a smile to her face. Shinn smiled too, glad that it was never her intention to want to leave him in the first place. When he pulled back and looked into the pair of jade eyes in front of him, he couldn't resist the urge to lean over…

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Ro-"

Roy held up a hand to interrupt his fellow partner sent by Gladys to 'assist' him on the job. Though he had not said anything regarding the situation of their charge, the look on him was intimidating enough to make Sean, his 'partner' not to probe further.

"Gladys-sama doesn't have to know." Roy said at last.

It was not what he said but how he said the words that made Sean signaled to others to let up.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Rusty, Nichol, Yzak, Dearka and Athrun sat awed by the information gathered from one of ZAFT reconnaissance teams.

"The damned Naturals actually came up with something like that?" Yzak spat, interrupting Miguel, who was in the midst of presenting the decoded data.

"Calm down, Yzak." Rau ordered. "Let Miguel finish."

Yzak folded his arms but nonetheless shut his gap.

Miguel smirked, looking at Yzak. "As a matter of fact, I share your sentiments. This is simply an act of war if we let them get any further. From what our spy gathered, they _are _selling it to EAF, all _five _of them." Miguel paused for a snort. "So much for a neutral country."

"So our mission now is to stop this major transaction?" Dearka questioned in his usual drawl.

"And tramp _the toys_." Yzak added with a smirk.

"That's a nice way to put across our primary intention, Yzak." Rau commented with a smirk.

His six subordinates turned to look at him at that, each with different expressions. Dearka simply looked bored while Nicol and Rusty looked ready for instructions. Miguel and Yzak looked anticipatory whilst Athrun remained pokerfaced.

"Well." Rau started, standing up to face all of them. "I guess it's more interesting to see their _new toys_ rather than check on some lump piece of metal in space."

"But we can't just stop our investigation of the EAF satellite at Lagrange Point 3 halfway." Rusty reasoned.

"I'm sure all of you know that the information we received regarding the satellite is faulty, which is the reason for our retreat in the first place." Rau answered as a matter of fact. "We just have to leave the rest of the investigation to the Nimitz team, who are nearer to the area."

Rusty nodded, convinced.

"Creuset Squad!"

The six of them immediately pulled themselves to feet and stood in attention stances.

"Get ready for this mission briefing in 1330 hours. For now, you're dismissed!"

"YES SIR!"


	10. Chanced Meetings I

**Chapter 10: Chanced Meetings I**

"There's a courier for Mayu Asuka."

Shinn quirked an eyebrow at the postman and eyed the parcel in his hands.

The name was 'Mayu Asuka' alright.

He signed the papers, wondering what could it be from who could it be. After the postman left him with the parcel, he kicked his door closed and studied the decorated box. "Mayu!"

His little sister sprinted out from her bedroom with an irritated look. She was about to chide her brother for interrupting her homework time when she noticed the package in his hands. "What's that you're holding?"

Shinn shook the parcel a little, heard some soft rumbling sound and shrugged. "Why don't you open it up and see?"

He tossed the box over to Mayu, where he earned a sulky glare when she barely managed to catch it. But she lightened up the moment she saw her name on the courier note. "It's for me!"

Shinn shot her the why-do-you-think-I-tossed-it-to-you look and dropped to their couch to flip some TV channels. Mayu ignored her brother's show of nonchalance and went to sit beside him to unwrap the parcel.

She gasped in joy when the gift was revealed.

Shinn dared a peek and saw that it was a pink cell phone – The latest model that is.

Mayu lifted the cell phone gingerly from the box and admired it. "Look! Look! This is the cell phone I've always wanted!"

"This is the cell phone _all_ of us always wanted." Shinn countered, grabbing the courier note to see whether the identification of the sender was written in there.

There was none.

One person struck his mind at the same time the gift rang, exciting Mayu all the more. "It's Alix ne-chan! It's her! Aww… the ring tone sounds so cu-!"

The cell phone was in Shinn's hands before Mayu could help it.

"Onisan!"

Shinn ignored Mayu's protest and answered the call while trying to keep her hands off him. "Hello? Alix, is that you?"

Alix's chuckle on the other line distracted him from Mayu, who was trying to yank his shirt off him.

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Shinn?" Alix heard some shuffling rumbling sounds, and thought that the line was disrupted. She looked at her cell phone.

The connection was normal.

"Hello?" She tried once more.

"ALIX NE-CHAN!"

Alix instinctively jerked away her cell phone at the loud voice. Without a doubt, it was Mayu. She smiled as she continued to hear Mayu loud and clear on the other line, holding her cell phone a finger away from her ears.

"ONISAN BULLIED ME! HE SNATCHED YOUR PRESENT TO M-HMMmmMM!"

"Stop whining!" Shinn's voice was heard.

Alix chuckled and shook her head at the Asuka siblings on the other line. "Shinn, please don't throttle Mayu."

Shinn bypassed her remark. "You're in Helipolis already?"

"Yeah." Alix answered, wondering what had happened to Mayu. She has gone quiet. "I'm at the Science Academy now. What have you done to Mayu? Pass her the phone."

**+ Destiny Child +**

Shinn twisted his lips and passed the phone over to his sister grudgingly. Mayu was sulking and folding her arms on the couch, knowing she couldn't out win her brother in terms of physical strength. She stuck out her tongue at him and gave a last-laugh snort when she grabbed her present from his hands, making Shinn narrowing his eyes at her.

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Mayu?" Alix uttered, at the same time getting her attention diverted by a green robotic bird landing on her head. She perched the mechanical bird to her index finger as Mayu burst on the other line. "ALIX NE-CHAN! Thank you for your present!"

Alix smiled, at the same time giving the robotic bird on her finger an once-over. She thought the configuration in which it was constructed looked rather similar to Chouchou. "Do-"

"Tori!"

Alix quirked an eyebrow at the bird who just interrupted her. Then she glanced around, thinking the owner might be near.

"What's that?" Mayu asked on the other line.

"Just a robotic bird." Alix said, still glancing around. Groups of students were crossing from one direction to another in the school gardens. However, no one approached her to claim the bird. She decided to hold on to the pet for a while, since it has no intention of getting away from her either. "Do you like the present then? I know you do."

Mayu chuckled on the other line, for Alix just imitated her trademark dialogue. "Yes! Of course I do!"

"Happy birthday, Mayu." Alix smiled and brushed her thumb across the wings of the bird. The pet uttered its name again in response. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"Oh thank you! How do you know my birthday?" Mayu asked animatedly.

"Make a guess." Alix hinted, her smile intact. "Who could have told me?"

**+ Destiny Child +**

Shinn, who just came out from the kitchen, narrowed his eyes at his little sister again when she suddenly turned to look at him. Wondering the conversation between the girls, he took a sip from the glass of water he just poured himself and nudged Mayu, indicating it was time to hand over the cell phone.

Mayu pouted. "Alix ne-chan, please hold on. Oni- Alix ne-chan?"

Shinn frowned over his little sister's tone. From the looks of it, it seemed that the line was disrupted.

He grabbed the cell phone. "Alix? Alix! Are you there?"

**+ Destiny Child +**

Tori flapped away upon the near collision.

Alix only had time to worry about the falling notebook to realize she would bump heads with the notebook owner.

Kira only had time to worry about the falling cell phone to realize he would bump heads with the cell phone owner.

Both recoiled upon the kiss of their foreheads.

Both grunted the pain.

Kira rubbed the bruise on his temple while trying, with half-opened eyes, checked that the violet-haired girl he just knocked heads with was okay. Of course, he felt sorry, and was about to offer his apology when the girl stepped forward to offer hers first.

"I'm sorry." With that, Alix handed his notebook back to him.

Kira took back his notebook and shook his head at her. "No. I'm sorry. I should have called out to you."

He was looking for Tori when he spotted it on her hand. She turned her back at him when he started walking towards her, all the while talking on her cell phone. Kira had not expected that she would whirl around when he was right behind her. That was when they both startled each other and resulted the forehead collision when their things started to fall.

He then looked down at the cell phone he caught, which was hers. "Ah.. here, your cell phone."

Alix took back her cell phone and saw that the line with Shinn was disconnected. Furthermore, the battery was running low. She watched helplessly as her cell phone emitted a beep and switched itself off. She chided herself inwardly for forgetting to charge the battery last night. Now, Shinn was going to think something bad had happened to her, for she was sure he heard some misleading sounds before the line was cut off. Nevertheless, she thought she must thank the brown-haired boy for saving her cell phone from ruins. "Thank you."

Kira thought she looked somewhat troubled. He thought it was because of the cell phone, or rather, the call. "Is that an important call? I can lend you my cell phone if you want."

Alix shook her head with a glad smile. "It's okay. I can always call back later." Then her gaze settled on his notebook. "I hope there's nothing wrong with your notebook?"

Kira looked down on his notebook and thought that it should be alright, since it did not crash on the ground. "Shouldn't be a problem."

Tori perched on his shoulders then, drawing both their attention.

"Ah." Alix realized. "So he was yours. Did you make it yourself?"

Kira glanced at Tori before answering. "No. It was a present from a friend. Now that I think of it, you look like him."

"Hm?" Alix tilted her head in mild befuddlement.

"I mean, you remind me of him, your mannerisms and all." Kira quickly amended, thinking it was rude to say that a girl looked like a boy, though from wherever angle he looked, the similarities between her and Athrun were surprisingly evident.

Alix nodded. "I see."

"Are you new here?" The question was out from his mouth before he could help it. He was certain he never saw her before; certain he would remember if he met a girl akin to Athrun before.

He would never forget the pair of emerald eyes that accompanied him through his elementary years.

Alix smiled. "Yes. But I'm only reporting class tomorrow. I guess I couldn't wait to see my new school."

'_And what Mother wants.'_ Alix added inwardly.

Gladys had instructed her to head to Factory 37 of Sector S in Morgenroete facilities the moment she touched down the colony. But as she has to _wait_ for Cagalli, she decided to spend the waiting time to check out the surroundings that she was going to spend three years in.

Kira nodded. "I see. Having any trouble finding your way?"

Alix glanced around and gave it a thought, for she was only wandering aimlessly just now. "Hmm…I guess I'm still okay."

Their attention was once again grabbed by Tori when he uttered its name. Kira found it surprising that it hopped to Alix's shoulders after that, as Tori never displayed such 'friendliness' to strangers before.

He decided to apologize first. "Uh.. Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with him today."

"It's alright." Alix assured, perching Tori from her shoulders to her index finger. "Actually I had a mechanical pet too. And I also gave it to my friend. It is a butterfly. Perhaps you will see it someday."

At the mention of Chouchou, Alix thought of Samantha. And her plan to 'smuggle' Cagalli into Helipolis. She glanced at her watch.

'_It's about time Cagalli's shuttle has landed.'_

It was time to go.

"Anyway, I have to go now." Alix stated, handing Tori back to Kira.

It reminded Kira of the day eleven years ago when Athrun first handed Tori to him as a farewell gift.

"See you around." Alix said.

Kira nodded. "See you around."

Kira watched her walked away before he realized he forgot to ask her name. He was about to call out to her when she whirled around with the same realization.

They exchanged knowing smiles.

"Alix Whitley."

"Kira Yamato."

**+ Destiny Child +**

Cagalli huffed as she flipped her cell phone close for the umpteenth time.

Just where was Alix?

Cagalli had expected her second cousin to be waiting for her at their meeting place, if not somewhere near or least _reachable_. But it turned out that she was nowhere to be found.

She folded her arms and tapped her foot with impatience, wondering what could be the hiccup. Her mood somehow changed for the better when she glanced around the arena.

She was finally _here_.

It seemed impossible one month ago but she was here, _now_.

She couldn't deny she has to thank Samantha for that. She smirked at the thought of her 'eternal antagonist'.

She received a call from her some time after that day they shared that moment of unanimity. After their usual exchange of sarcasm with Samantha enunciating it was never her intention to assist her getaway to Helipolis, and her jabbering about how she was doing all these on account of Alix, Samantha explained their family would be moving to Helipolis…

_+Late one night one month ago, on the line with Samantha+_

"_So, here's the plan." Samantha said then. "Mom will be going over first, followed by the two of us later…Hm? What is this?"_

"_What is what?" Cagalli asked, mildly irritated that Samantha started mumbling to herself just when they got to the main topic._

"_I found two new files in SA's website. Hold on."_

_After a while, Cagalli cocked an eyebrow in question when Samantha started mumbling again. "Shizuka na Yoruni… Hmm?"_

_Cagalli sighed and inwardly counted to ten. When she reached two, she heard a melodic soothing tune over the line. She stopped her counting and listened quietly throughout the end of the song and thought it sounded pretty nice. Then, another one, in which the tune was more melancholic, came along when Samantha mumbled, "Mizu no… Akashi? Interesting.."_

_Now, Cagalli was completely lost. "What the hell are you talking about? What are you doing?"_

"_Shhh…"_

_Cagalli rolled her eyes and sighed again. Nonetheless, she did as hushed and listened quietly till the end of the second song as well._

"_Tomboy, you heard that?" Samantha asked after the two songs were played._

_Cagalli closed her eyes with another sigh. "Yes bimbo, I heard that."_

"_What do you think?"_

"_What's that gotta do with what we're gonna do?" Cagalli retorted, feeling her annoyance rising with her blonde cousin._

"_Nothing." Samantha replied as a matter of fact. "Just seeking your opinion on Alix's work."_

"_Huh?"_

"_The two songs you heard just now were composed by Alix." Samantha explained. "I don't know when she did it but I think it's for the upcoming fund-raising event by SA. Hmm.. I didn't know she has talent in this area.. Ah! I know what to do with these two songs! I gonna sell it to Lacus Clyne and raise money from there!"_

_Cagalli pursed her lips. "Are you sure? I think you should ask Alix first."_

"_Of course she will agree. Lacus Clyne will too. It's all for charity! I'm sure it will work out."_

_When Cagalli did not answer, Samantha thought she went away. "Tomboy? You there?"_

"_Waiting for you to get back on topic."_

_Samantha chuckled, "I almost forgot about that. Where was I?"_

"_Admitting you're a bimbo." Cagalli suggested without a bat of her eyelids._

_Samantha snorted. "Nice try, tomboy. Now, do you want to get to Helipolis or not? It's not everyday I like to help you."_

"_What actually happened to Alix anyway?"_

"_She's nursing a broken heart."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Forget it. Tomboys like you will never understand. Now, where did I stop?"_

_Cagalli rolled her eyes at that. "You said Aunt will be going over first. You and Alix will follow."_

"_Oh I see. Okay, Alix and I… wait a minute. Have you checked your phone? Or your room? Are you tapped?"_

_Cagalli's guard went up instantly. She had never given it a thought until the reminder from Samantha. She glanced around her bedroom, checked the potential areas, scanned the hallway, and lastly, eyed her cell phone._

"_Hello?" Samantha prompted after a moment._

"_I've checked the area." Cagalli said at last. "I think it's safe. My cell phone is always with me so I don't think it's tapped. No one knows my plan anyway, except the two of you."_

"_You gotta be safe than sorry." Samantha cautioned. "Have you checked on Kisaka?"_

_Kisaka, with his earphone and the tapping machine in his elusive corner, held his breath at the mention of his name. He must admit that Samantha was sharper than Cagalli. Or rather, Cagalli was trustier of others._

_He smiled when he heard Cagalli said, "Don't worry about him. I trust him. Now, would you please get on where you've stopped?"_

"_Fine." Samantha sighed. "Alix and I were supposed to go together, but I have my ballet competition. Now, wish me."_

"_What?" Cagalli exclaimed in absolute exasperation at Samantha's habit of swaying and stopping conversations as and when she liked it._

"_Wish me all the best for my ballet competition." Samantha stated as a matter of fact. "Wish me for the number one spot."_

"_You don't need wishes when you know you can do it!" Cagalli snapped._

_Samantha considered it for a moment. "Well, that's true. The champ is me no matter how I look at it."_

_Cagalli rolled her eyes at Samantha's blatant self-adoration. "Please hold, cuz I gonna puke." Cagalli made the sound of puking; making Kisaka couldn't help but laugh out loud._

_He tried to suppress his laughter by gagging his own mouth. Conversations between these two cousins were always amusing, even if they don't realize it themselves._

_Samantha snorted. "Not that I care for your wishes anyway."_

"_Just move on to the plan, will you?"_

"_Fine. So because of my competition, Alix will go over second. I go last."_

_Cagalli waited for a full minute before she decided that Samantha has stopped for good._

"_What now?" Cagalli couldn't help but yelled over the phone. She was so frustrated now, she stomped her foot. _

"_Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. That's why I hate talking to you. You're stupid."_

"_Don't make me hang up on you, bimbo."_

"_Don't you see? You have the perfect opportunity to impersonate me!"_

_Cagalli considered it for a moment. "Uh huh..."_

"_Mom didn't know we will be taking separate flights. She thought the two of us are going over together at my flight time. Well, you should count your luck that I have my ballet competition cuz there's no way am I letting you impersonate me if I'm free."_

_Cagalli closed her eyes and tried to curb herself from shouting over the phone again. _

_It was two am after all. _

_She does it by drumming her fingers on her lap. "Hm."_

_After she had Cagalli's agreement, Samantha continued, "Though you're not as chic and beautiful as me, you pass for the blonde hair and build. I'll take care of the bodyguards escorting me. As for you, just make sure you can bring yourself to me. And of course, come back at the stipulated time for the switch. Do you understand what I'm saying?"_

_Cagalli thought the plan sounded feasible. In this way, her father would think she was in ORB all along when she was in Helipolis. In this way, she would not be hindered. "Hm."_

"_Of course, you have to be discreet when you reached cuz I'm an equally popular girl over there. I can't risk letting you ruin the fine reputation I've spent years building up."_

"_Fine." Cagalli said flatly._

"_Head straight to Professor Kato's lab in Morgenroete facilities to be safe. Alix will meet you there. As for the ID pass to get around the facility, I'll take care of it."_

_Cagalli couldn't help but felt skeptical about Samantha's capability. "Are you sure you can do it?"_

_She heard Samantha coughed. "You should know the influence of my family. What is a little plastic card to me? Ok, fine. Even if you doubt me, you shouldn't doubt Alix."_

_Cagalli shrugged. She just has to trust her cousins on this. "Fine."_

Her cell phone rang, bringing her attention back to reality. Cagalli looked at the screen anxiously and sighed when the caller was not Alix. Instead, it was the person that was on her mind a while ago.

It was Samantha.

She twisted her lips "Yeah?" and sounded sharper than intended.

She could already picture Samantha scowling on the other end.

"So now I'm a nuisance? You're an ungrateful brat!"

Cagalli lifted her head up the azure sky with a prayer of patience. "I'm sorry alright. What is it?"

Samantha snorted. "Your room looks quite decent despite the likes of you. Anyway, pass the phone to Alix. I need to talk to her."

Cagalli frowned over the mention of the name, and glanced around the arena once more. She slipped into a corner and pulled her suede cap lower when she saw three military personnel coming by. "I'm alone."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. I haven't seen Alix and I can't find her anywhere. I've tried calling her but her mobile was off. Did you tell her the wrong meeting place?"

"That's weird cuz I can't reach her too. It's impossible she's in the wrong place. We're meeting Mom there too."

"Is she with Aunt then?" It was the only possibility that popped into Cagalli's mind for Alix's unreachable status.

"I've checked already. No." Then Samantha gasped. "Don't tell me she has fainted somewhere where no one could find her! Shit! Roy's not with her, what shall I do?"

Cagalli widened her eyes in surprise. "Alix has fainting spells?"

Samantha bypassed her question. "How long have you been waiting?"

"About half an hour already."

"She's supposed to wait for you."

"Yes! But where is she?"


	11. Chanced Meetings II

**Chapter 11: Chanced Meetings II**

She was late.

She was so very late!

After her identity was confirmed by the guards at the tower, her cab dashed straight into the car park of Professor Kato's lab. She bounced out of the cab the moment it stopped, and started running towards her destination.

She had not expected the long queue at the cab stand at the Science Academy, where she waited nearly twenty-five minutes for one.

"Miss!"

Alix screeched to a halt and whirled around, a lock of her long violet tresses slapping her flushed cheeks.

A chestnut-haired lady officer in orange suit approached her and gave her an once-over. By her sides flanked two more military personnel.

Alix's gaze rested on her badge clipped on her chest. _'Lieutenant Murrue Ramius. EA..F?'_

"I need to see your ID please." Murrue stated.

Alix did as told and pulled out her pass from her bag.

They widened their eyes, seeing Alix in a different light the moment they saw the name on the pass.

"Alix Whitley." Murrue uttered before she could stop herself. She was surprised to see the daughter here when she missed the arrival of the mother earlier. She thought mother and daughters arrived together.

Well, wasn't that supposed to be for most families of the higher-ups?

"Yes." Alix nodded. "I'm supposed to meet my mother, Professor Whitley."

"Well, she's not where you're headed just now." Murrue pointed the direction on the other side of the facility. "She's in that facility inspecting the mobile suits."

Alix followed her gaze and hesitated when she thought of Cagalli. "Oh I see. Thanks for telling me but I'm looking for Professor Kato first."

"Professor Kato is with her." Murrue stated as a matter of fact.

'_What!'_ "I see. Thanks for saving me a merry-go-round. I'll go to them now."

Her plan of slipping away when they were out of sight was crushed when she heard her mother behind Murrue.

"Alix?"

At the sight of the acclaimed Professor, Murrue and her assistants immediately attention themselves and offered their salutes at Gladys Whitley, who approached them with another group of military personnel trailing behind her.

Gladys hastily dismissed the show of formality with a wave of her hand and settled her gaze on Alix.

"Mother." Alix greeted. She smiled at Professor Kato, who gave her a wink beside her mother. "Uncle Kato."

"My my, look how much you've grown since the last time I saw you." Professor Kato remarked with a fatherly hug.

Alix hugged him back. Kato was a family friend. He was also a fatherly figure to Samantha and her.

Of course, he knew of _their plan_.

"What took you two so long?" Gladys asked. Then she looked around, thinking Samantha was near. "Where is Samantha?"

'_!' _"Uh.. She's in Uncle Kato's lab looking at some of the experiments." Alix lied, and gave a perfunctory glance at Murrue beside them. "I was about to go to you."

Murrue quirked an eyebrow at that. _'So she was rushing to see her sister just now?'_

Gladys sighed and turned to one of her personal bodyguards. "Please get Samantha for me."

Alix's eyes flew to Professor Kato for help.

Of course, the Professor caught the hint. "Why don't we leave this simple task to Sai? He's going to my lab anyway."

Gladys shrugged.

It was then Alix noticed the bespectacled boy standing beside Kato. It was then she realized he has been staring at her.

Professor Kato gave the two youths a look and noticed the unfamiliarity between the two. "I almost forgot. Sai, meet Alix. She's Professor Whitley's second daughter. Alix, this is Professor Argyle's son, Sai."

Sai stretched his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Alix-san."

Alix took the hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you too, Sai-kun."

"Don't they look cute together?" Kato teased.

Both youngsters felt awkward instantly.

Gladys smirked. "I'm too late. Sai is already engaged with Flay Alister, aren't you, Sai?"

Sai nodded. "Yes."

Murrue sighed inwardly. She guessed the children of this clique of people were deprived of the freedom to choose their spouses the moment they were born. For a moment, she wondered who would be standing beside Alix for the rest of her life. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Alix does attract her in some way.

She looked nothing like her mother.

Different hair color.

Different eyes.

Different auras.

Mother and daughter were women of contrast in their own ways.

Gladys, with her bound-up blonde hair and cool blue eyes, possessed the autocratic dignified outlook while Alix, with her bluish-purple hair and clear green eyes, gave the impression of grace and strength within.

Murrue stopped her thoughts when Gladys spoke, "I'm taking Alix to see the Gundams again. Are you coming with me, Kato?"

Professor Kato shrugged. "Sure." Then he turned to Sai. "Sai, please get Samantha to Factory 37 of Sector S. Inform her that Alix is with us, in case she worries. Oh yeah, please also ask Kira to come by my lab. Drag him over if you have to. I have something to discuss with him." Professor Kato paused to pull out a diskette from his lab coat. "Pass this to him when he's here. Thanks for your help, son."

Sai took the diskette when the image of the brown-haired boy with his mechanical bird came into Alix's mind.

"Kira?" Alix interjected. "Kira Yamato-kun?"

Sai and Professor Kato turned to her surprised while Gladys narrowed her eyes.

"You've met the boy?" Kato asked.

"Yes. At the Academy gardens. I-_We_ were there just now." Alix gave a furtive glance at her mother after that. Luckily her mother did not probe why _they_ did not head straight to Morgenroete facilities as told.

Professor Kato chuckled. "Was it coincidence or was it fate? Fancy you meeting him out of all the students under me. "

Alix did not understand. "Hm?"

"He's one of my outstanding students." Kato explained. "The second one whom I find has extreme talent in the world of engineering."

"Who's the first one?" Alix couldn't help but asked.

Kato smiled. "You."

Professor Kato's bluntness drew a blush from Alix. "Ah..real..really?"

Kato nodded and rubbed his chin in thought. "Perhaps I should team you two up for a science project. It will be exciting to see the work." Kato nodded to himself. "Yes. Perhaps I should do that."

Alix shrugged.

"I think we should go." Gladys interjected.

Sai thought it was weird when Alix kept throwing backward glances at him as she trailed behind the adults. Then, she turned around when they were not looking and seemly engrossed in their conversations.

Murrue was about to get back to her work when she saw Alix gesticulated to Sai.

"Tell.. her to… wait there?" Murrue uttered, and raised an eyebrow at Alix's contradiction.

Didn't their mother summon for her sister's presence too?

She moved her focus to Sai, who hesitated for the briefest of second before he gestured the 'OK' sign. The youths shared a smile before Sai walked away towards the lab. Alix's gaze followed him worriedly until she noticed Murrue staring at her. She gave Murrue a polite nod before scurrying back beside her mother.

'_Something was definitely going on with the Whitley sisters.'_ Murrue thought with a frown. But then, she shrugged it off. _'But what major disaster could these innocent lasses create anyway?'_

"I wonder how her brain was different from ours." One of his assistants, Hamada, remarked beside her. "It's unbelievable that EAF's new vessels were the work of a child."

Murrue gave it a thought. Of course, she knew who Hamada was talking about. She glanced at the back of Alix Whitley, who was beside her mother walking quietly towards their destination.

She couldn't believe it herself either when she first got to know that the concept of EAF's new assault ship, Archangel, as well as the five new, if not first generation of mobile suits, came from a child of fourteen years.

Fourteen years old.

Now, that definitely raised eyebrows.

"This is what we called a child prodigy." Bryan, the other assistant beside her commented. "But I heard she's an adopted daughter. It's obvious, isn't it? They look so different."

Hamada laughed. "Who cares anyway? But Professor Whitley sure knows how to pick."

Bryan agreed with a hearty laugh of his own. "You're damned right!"

"Stop idling and get back to work!"

Bryan and Hamada perked up at the voice of Murrue behind them. "YES, MADAM!"

**+ Destiny Child +**

"Are you Samantha Whitley?"

Cagalli cursed her luck inwardly. The last thing she wanted was being approached. Nonethelss, she turned around to acknowledge the bespectacled boy. "Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Sai Argyle. Your sister, Alix, is with your mother. She told you to wait for her here."

Cagalli bit her lip and looked away with a frown. "I should have known."

Sai thought the reaction of 'Samantha' was pretty weird. In fact, he found the behaviors of the sisters questioning. It was like they were hiding something. Nevertheless, he decided not to ask.

"Hmm.. do you want to wait inside the lab?" Sai suggested instead.

Cagalli thought she should do that. "Ah, Sure."

**+ Destiny Child +**

Kira watched Tori soared above them as their cab soared on the road. His mind involuntarily wondered back to his encounter with the violet-haired girl at the Academy's gardens – Alix Whitley.

The more he thought about her, the more he felt she resembled Athrun. At the thought of his childhood buddy, he wondered what he was doing now. It has been a while since they last contacted each other. Since the Junius Seven incident, to be exact. Kira brushed Athrun aside at the thought of the tragedy of the era, the reports of the news in his notebook a while ago at the gardens coming into mind.

War.

He hoped nothing like that would ever happen in ORB. But then again, why worry? ORB was a neutral country and Helipolis was part of ORB.

Yeah.

He had confidence in his government.

His thoughts wondered back to the present when the Morgenroete facilities came into view. He sighed, then decided to listen into the conversation behind him in the cab. He sighed again when he realized Tolle was _still_ talking about the letter.

"Hmm.. But I really wonder about the contents of the letter." Tolle remarked.

Miriallia rolled her eyes beside Tolle. "You wonder about everything."

Tolle snorted. "Don't tell me you're not at all interested in what Sai wrote to Flay."

"No." Miriallia answered flatly.

"I don't believe you!" Tolle retorted. "Kira, what about you?"

"Enough already, Tolle." Kira chided, starting to feel somewhat annoyed by his friend's endless discussion about a mere letter that doesn't concern any of them. He swiped his ID pass on the reader when their cab halted at Gate 3 of Morgenroete facilities. Tolle and Miriallia followed suit. After the guards confirmed their identities and let them through, Tolle refused to let up and continued, "I'm going to ask Sai anyhow."

"Do what you want, Tolle." Miriallia drawled.

As they got out of their cab and started towards Professor Kato's lab, Kira smiled and shook his head watching his two friends bickering their wits out of each other.

Friends.

It was great to have them in your life.

**+ Destiny Child +**

A group of soldiers in red and green checked their watches.

"It's time." One of them said.

Another one stretched his hand out. "For ZAFT."

Others stacked their hands on his. "For ZAFT."

Nodding cohesively, they scattered.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Kuzzey Buskirk announced their presences the moment the entrance to Professor Kato's lab slid open. "They're here!"

Sai popped his head out the moment he heard the announcement. He caught Kira immediately "Ah, Kira! You've finally come!" in which Kira greeted back with a halfhearted smile.

Tolle graced the lab, with Kira and Miriallia behind him.

If Kira was curious about the unfamiliar blonde's presence in the lab, he didn't ask.

Instead, he merely gave _him_ a fleeting glance.

Tolle, on the other hand, reacted just the opposite of Kira. "Who is that?" He asked Kuzzey furtively at the same time.

Kuzzey shrugged. "Professor's VIP. She was told to wait here."

"Where's Professor?" Kira chipped in.

"Entertaining other VIPs." Sai interrupted, coming up to him.

Kira nodded halfheartedly.

"I've been keeping this for you. Here." Sai handed the diskette to Kira, the one that Professor Kato wanted his outstanding student to have. "It's an appendix, I suppose."

Kira groaned in response, and took the diskette.

"What is it?" Sai asked when he saw the helpless look on Kira. "It's probably the work on Morgenroete."

Kira waved the diskette uninterestedly in his hands, as he knew what the content was. "Not interested. Improvement on the Frame Set Module. Anyway, it's program analysis."

**+ Destiny Child +**

Things were going as planned.

Explosives were being planted at designated locations waiting to be ignited.

All they had to do is to wait for the time to come.

**+ Destiny Child +**

Kira choked when Tolle came up behind him unexpectedly and locked him in the neck.

"Let's hear about the letter first!"

Sai couldn't quite catch on. "Letter?"

"It's nothing!" Kira hastily tried to dismiss.

But Tolle refused to let up as usual. He tightened his lock on Kira. "As if!"

With her arms folded, Cagalli's patience was wearing thin. She rolled her eyes at the childish behavior the boys were displaying, thinking she was somehow wasting her time here. When they finally settled down, Cagalli couldn't help but noticed the brown-haired boy was very good at what he was doing; Hitting the keyboard and coming up with those complex analyses and all in an effortless manner. Watching him somehow reminded her of Alix, who was also a dab hand in these areas.

At the thought of her second cousin, Cagalli let out a low exasperated huff. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, then at her own watch.

She was waited enough.

If she wanted to find out whether ORB was lending military resources to EAF, it has to be now.

As if on cue, her cell phone rang, making her the centre of attention all of the sudden. She ignored the stares and answered the call.

"Have you found Alix?" The anxious voice, which she recognized immediately, boomed through the line the moment it clicked.

Cagalli sighed, turning to a side for more privacy. "She's with Aunt."

The students caught her hint and returned to their work.

Cagalli heard Samantha heaved a sigh of relief on the other end. "What about you?"

"I'm stuck in the lab, of course!" Cagalli complained in a harsh whisper. "Alix told me to wait here!"

"Hmm…" Samantha's voice trailed off, and Cagalli was about to snap for a solution when Samantha finally spoke. "I can't hold up here much longer too. Uncle has called for you twice already."

Cagalli was about to snap again when Samantha again interrupted, "Since Alix's with Mum, I guess they would be taking the whole day. Well, I guess I just have to tell you the secret passageway."

Cagalli's curiosity immediately replaced her frustration. "Secret passageway?"

"Yup. The one that leads directly to the facilities' arsenal." Samantha answered as a matter of fact. "See the emergency door with Professor Kato's name on it?"

Cagalli's amber orbs swept across the lab. It stopped at the door with the words 'Kato' and 'No Unauthorized Personnel Allowed' on it.

Kira threw a suspicious glance at the blonde boy who just flipped his cell phone close. His amber gaze was directed on the door that everyone was told to steer clear of. He hastily returned his attention on his computer screen when the blonde boy caught him looking at him.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes at the brown-haired boy, then brushed him aside as she slowly and carefully edged her way towards the door of truth.

Making sure no one was paying her attention, Cagalli clutched the door knob.

She scowled the moment she turned the knob.

It was locked.

**+Destiny Child+**

In space, Commander Rau Le Creuset glanced at his watch. "It's time."

His Captain, Fredrik Ades, nodded. "Wateo, Vesalius, launch!"


	12. Revelation I

A**/N: Sorry this chapter came late because I was having problems with my internet connections. But all is fine now and I will upload Chapter 13 on this Friday (28th Jul):) Till then, keep the reviews going! V**

**AND last but not least, I just wanna thankmy beta reader/editor, Lady Annora, for being part of this:)**

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**Chapter 12: Revelation I**

Alix looked down across the bridge, pleased.

Below her lay the efforts she spent years molding into reality.

Below her lay _five_ mobile suits, or Gundams, as her mother called the invention of the era.

But most important of all, below her lay _the protectors_ of ORB.

Alix couldn't help but give the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam more attention. The Gundam was the last born, and the one that she spent most time on. God only knows how many nights she spent modifying its operating system and its weapon packs. As the name implied, the Gundam was specialized for its power of attacks and thus, it was the most powerful and versatile out of the five in this area.

GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam was the next Gundam that caught her eyes, it rested beside Strike. The Gundam was a bit different from the rest because of its transformation configuration. It could easily transform from mobile suit to mobile armor and vice versa, making it the speediest of the five because of this. It has no problem on its own; for it was equipped with specifications for both long and short range attacks.

Her gaze shifted to GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam when technicians below started to move Aegis and Strike out of the factory. This Gundam was unique in a sense that it had a stealth system - Mirage Colloid. Alix had spent a lot of time ruminating whether she should input the stealth system, for it would considerably weaken the overall performance of the Gundam. But in the end, she installed it nevertheless, considering there would be times where reconnaissance was needed. When that happened, Blitz would make the perfect spy.

Alix glanced over to the other two mobile suits which were the work of her mother. GAT-X102 Duel Gundam, and GAT-X103 Buster Gundam.

The Duel Gundam was the first Gundam that introduced the Phrase Shift Armor and was used as a foundation to build the other four. Alix had no in-depth knowledge of the specifications of the two Gundams, except they were a pair of complementary Gundams. Duel was built for short range attacks and while Buster, long range. They made the perfect pair covering the backs of each other.

Alix glanced further across the bridge, and was somewhat disappointed that _the other three_ Gundams has not arrived. The other three Gundams were also the work of her mother and she thought of studying and comparing the differences between her Gundams and her mother's when all eight were here. But it seemed they were not arriving any sooner. She thought of asking about them from her mother later.

With that in mind, Alix thought about the Gundams' mother ship, the Archangel.

A satisfactory smile spread across her face.

With the support of their heavily armed mother ship, Alix was sure that the eight Gundams would create history, leaving 'invincible' as their name. Alix flipped open the black file in her hands to pore over the profiles of the G-pilots. Her smile was all but wiped off from her.

"It's fascinating, isn't it?"

Alix looked up from the file at the voice. Gladys approached Alix, her heels echoing steadily across the bridge while her eyes expressed delight in seeing the five babies below. Her hands rested casually on the railing when she reached Alix. "And unbelievable too."

Alix followed her mother's gaze and dropped her questioning gaze to the five Gundams below them, lingering her attention longer on Aegis and Strike, which was moving slowly but steadily out of the factory. "Hmm."

"Well, the Archang-"

"Mother." Alix interrupted, and looked down at the file in her hands again.

Gladys tucked her hands into her coat and gave Alix her full attention. "What is it? The G-pilots are not suitable?"

"The G-pilots are fine." Alix paused to look down at the Gundams again, one of her hands holding on the railing as her gut feeling started to make her feel uneasy. "But why are they EAF's pilots? All five of them."

"Oh.. that…" Gladys smirked. "I thought what is the problem…"

"The problem is, they are supposed to be ORB's pilots!" Alix reasoned, trying to deny now what her mind was telling her. "I don't believe there's no one suitable in ORB to pilot them!"

"Who told you that the pilots would be ORB's?" Gladys countered flatly.

Alix's lips parted in surprise, grasping the full meaning behind what her mother had indirectly admitted. She could hardly find her voice when she uttered, "You can't mean it…"

Gladys shrugged. "Didn't you realize the number of EAF personnel around? Why do you think they're here? Helping us load the Gundams? Come on Alix, I know you're not that naïve."

The image of Murrue and her assistants popped into her mind. At that moment, another realization hit. And it hit her harder than the first one. "Archangel!-"

"Yes." Gladys interjected flatly. "It comes with the package."

"They are meant to protect ORB!" Alix exclaimed, swiping the file in her hands across the air between her mother and her in frustration.

"They are." Gladys replied almost immediately. "Only in a different way."

"I don't see how they will protect ORB when they land into the hands of Earth Alliance!" Alix retorted, her voice as sharp as she intended it to be.

God, Cagalli was right.

ORB was lending military resources to EAF.

ORB was involved in the war.

No, it was far worse; _she_ was involved.

"Think out of the box, Alix!" Gladys made a defensive step forward. "By selling them to the Earth Alliance, we have much to gain! Profits, reputation, alliance, all in one go! I'm teaching you to kill three birds with one stone!"

"You're teaching me to betray my own country!" Alix earned a harsh slap for that comment, causing her to falter and the file in her hands to fall.

Military personnel looked up from below when the papers in the file started scattering about in the air.

Mwu La Flaga was one of them.

His startled stare followed Alix as she glared back, nursing her bruised cheek before she took off in the other direction, away from her mother. Professor Whitley remained transfixed.

He raised an eyebrow at that.

From the bits and pieces he didn't mean to eavesdrop just now, it seemed that mother and daughter had a clash of ideals. Neutral nation huh? He had heard it so many times that he was sick of it. How could a blotch of white remain its color when black was surrounding them, engulfing them?

"Lieutenant Flaga!"

He turned his head to acknowledge the approaching figure.

"You're finally arrived! Thanks for the hard work! Have you reported to the Captain?"

Mwu managed a wry smirk. "Yeah."

**+Destiny Child+**

The alarm blared, alerting all military personnel within the facilities. ZAFT ships were detected approaching Helipolis at a very unhealthy speed. Officers at the tower tried to connect to them upon the discovery of the possible intimidation. "This is Helipolis. Approaching ZAFT ships, please respond. We repeat, approaching ZAFT ships, please respond."

"Captain!" One of the officers at the tower burst out in anxiety when he saw his Captain floating beside him.

"Calm down!" The Captain snapped out. The blaring alarm was making him uneasy. He barked out the order "Stop the alarm!" then grabbed the earphone. "Contact the approaching ZAFT ships!"

"But Captain, we've already tried! They're not responding!" His subordinate blurted.

**+Destiny Child+**

Their radio transmission blared. "You are infringing on our territorial airspace. Cease your approach immediately. ZAFT army, cease your approach immediately!"

Rau managed a wry smirk at that.

**+Destiny Child+**

"The ZAFT ships are emitting powerful electromagnetic interference! This is clearly an act of war!"

The Captain widened his eyes in trepidation upon his subordinate's exclaim.

**+Destiny Child+**

At Rau's hand signal, mobile suits began to launch one by one…

**+Destiny Child+**

19

18

17

16…

**+Destiny Child+**

"What the hell is going on!" Gladys snarled, marching towards the officials at the tower. The blaring alarm was getting on her nerves. It was the last thing she needed, a hitch for _the_ transaction. Despite the emergency, military personnel at the tower immediately offered their salutes upon her presence.

"ZAFT ships were detected approaching aggressively towards Helipolis, Gladys-sama!" The Captain informed.

"Then stop them!" Gladys snapped, glancing at the computer screen for affirmation. The strong electromagnetic interference the computer showed was of Nazca and Laurasia class ships.

Damn those Coordinators, they must have come for her babies.

"We tried to contact them but they are not responding to our calls." The Captain reported. "Defense forces have already been sen-"

"Commence the transportation now." Gladys interrupted, her voice hard. Her attention remained at the pessimism of the computer screen when she added, "And find my daughters."

**+Destiny Child+**

"I know! If it comes to that, the ship will launch!" The Captain slammed the receiver back on the phone after that. He turned to his subordinates, Natarle Badgiruel and Arnold Neumann. "Call Lieutenant Ramius! Commence the important transportation now!"

"Yes, Sir!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Murrue Ramius looked up at the trailers and checked the reports in her hands. _'GAT-X105 Strike Gundam and GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam checked.' _

"To the Archangel, hurry!" She commanded.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Injecting kerosene propellant, 80 percent completed. The 16th multipurpose team, commence the transportation of materials."

Watching the mechanics scurrying all over at the bridge of Archangel's hangar, Alix couldn't help but brood over the controversy a while ago with her mother. She clenched her hands into fists at the thought that Archangel would be sold to EAF.

Just how could her mother do this?

Feeling utterly frustrated, Alix started to walk away when she felt a tremor ripple the ground. She stared at the ground and instinctively, knowing something was not quite right.

She started to run.

**+Destiny Child+**

5

4

3

2

1

**BOOM! **


	13. Revelation II

**Chapter 13: Revelation II**

The distinctive tremor was sudden, and certainly unexpected.

"Meteorites?" Sai guessed, trying to balance himself on the chair amidst the sudden imbalance.

Cagalli gasped, her intuition telling her something was going terribly wrong. She knew it was not meteorites as Sai had guessed.

She knew it was not.

**+Destiny Child+**

Having the bird's eye view at the hilltop, Yzak Joule swept his binoculars across Morgenroete facilities and found what they were looking for, the mobile suits. "That's it. Just like what Commander Creuset said."

"Scare them a little, and they'll come out of their hidey holes, huh?" Dearka quipped beside Yzak, quoting what Rau had said to them before the start of their mission. "They're pretty stupid, being Naturals and all."

Rusty and Nicol shifted, readying themselves. Athrun just looked on without comment.

But deep inside, he knew the Naturals were going to pay.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Looks like they've found the treasure. Sector S, it's at Factory 37!"

Miguel Aiman smirked when he heard that over his radio. "Got it. As expected of Yzak. He's pretty fast."

With that, he maneuvered his GINN towards the treasures.

**+Destiny Child+**

Murrue pursed her lips. She was informed that ZAFT were approaching Helipolis, which was by no means, good news. She looked up the trailers carrying Strike and Aegis. _'No doubt they must have found out about our military secret.'_

"Lieutenant Ramius!" Murrue turned her head to acknowledge Hamada approaching her. "We've lost contact with the ship. Situation unknown." Right after her subordinate said that, waves of explosion dropped above them. They dodged, but their surrounding nevertheless, was ruined.

"Damned ZAFT!" She couldn't help but curse, sprawling on the ground. Either way, they were not going to get their way. "Activate X-105 and X-303! Anyway, just leave the site!"

"Understood!"

**+Destiny Child+**

The electricity was out.

Sai was leading them out of the lab through the emergency door when they saw people rushing out of the building.

"What's happening?" Sai decided to ask one of them.

"Who knows?" One of them replied.

"We're being attacked by ZAFT!" The other added. "Mobile suits have entered the colony! You guys should hurry too!"

Cagalli gasped when she heard that. Why did ZAFT attack Helipolis? There must be a valid reason for them to be carrying out this act of aggression against the colony of ORB, a valid reason she was going to find out and sincerely hoped it was not true. She glanced at the other direction, where she was told by Samantha, the location of the arsenal. Without hesitation, she scuttled towards the entrance of truth, away from Kira and company.

"You, wait!" Kira called out the moment Cagalli separated herself from them. A quake washed over the building then, but Kira was not deterred. He was determined to get the boy.

"Kira!" Tolled called out when he realized Kira was trailing behind.

"I'll be right back!" Kira shouted before he scurried to get the boy.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Action!" Yzak commanded. The group floated towards ground level with the help of the air tank on their backs. "Destroy the facilities and the equipment we can't take with us." Yzak ordered, staring ahead at the three trailers that carried what they were looking for. "The report said they'd be five of them, the other two aren't here yet?"

"Leave that to Rusty and me," Athrun suggested. "You and the others can take those three first."

Yzak thought that was fine. "Okay, I'll leave it to you," He turned to the others, "Once we've got the machines, disarm the self-destruct device immediately."

"Yes, Sir!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix was nearly crushed dead by a falling block when she sprinted out into the open. She faltered from the colossal impact and landed ungracefully on the ground. She waved and shielded her senses from the overwhelming dust circulating around her, at the same time feeling the lump of pain throbbing at her bottom. She could barely grasp what was going on when she heard people everywhere.

Screaming.

Running.

'_What is going on?'_

She could hardly get a clear view of the chaos surrounding her when her arms instinctively shielded her face from the harsh whoosh above her.

"It's mobile suits!" She heard then. What she heard next made her froze. "It's ZAFT! They're attacking us!"

'_ZAFT is attacking Helipolis? Damn!'_

She thought she knew why.

Nevertheless, she needed to get to Cagalli in this time of emergency, but her cousin was forcefully pushed aside in her mind when she saw the devastation around her. Among the debris, the wounded were everywhere and one of them in particular, captured most of her attention.

A man, a military officer, was trapped half-buried underneath the block that almost got her just now. He was desperately calling out for help, but the free were busy scurrying for their lives.

After shouting the direction of shelters to the lost, Alix ran to the trapped officer without hesitation, dodging the bits and pieces of falling debris at the same time. She halted when she saw a blink of black. Her head started to throb then but she knew she had to get to the officer in time.

She pushed on and was about five feet away from the trapped officer when she was harshly propelled away by another colossal force. She grimaced at the intense pain the unbelievable impact caused, and was somewhat glad she could still feel her body. Because that meant she was still alive. The throbbing in her head got heavier and she pressed her hands on her head, wishing it would go away somehow.

'_Not now.. please. Not now.'_

Using her will to suppress her mental and physical distress, Alix slowly staggered to her feet only to be shocked of what was in front of her.

What was _left_ in front of her to be exact.

She was not sure what happened a while ago, but whatever happened caused every single living soul to disappear in a blink of the eyes. Her misty eyes did a sweep of the ruined scene when her knees buckled, causing her to think that the ground shifted beneath her. She gagged when she was on her knees, feeling an unknown lump at her throat.

A sense of déjà vu washed over her that moment.

She has seen _this_ before, and God, she was seeing it again, _now_.

'_I need to get out of here,'_ Alix thought desperately, feeling herself shaking uncontrollably. _'I need to find Cagalli before she… Move… move… MOVE!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"What do you think you're doing?" Kira chastised the moment he caught up with the boy he thought acted rather willfully. "They told us to go there, not here!"

Cagalli yanked his hold off her arm, ignoring his reproach. "Why did you follow me? You should hurry and leav-"

They were interrupted by a shockwave again when this time, Cagalli's suede cap was blown away. It was then Kira realized _he_ was a girl. He blinked his eyes to make sure. "A girl…?"

Cagalli scowled at that. She was sick of people mistaking her for a boy. Right, she was a tomboy, which she would admit. But a boy? That certainly triggered her nerves. "What do you think I was until now?"

"Ah..no." Kira stammered, realizing he was being rude. "Well…"

They were interrupted by another tremor, when it dawned on Cagalli she couldn't afford to waste any more time. "Forget it! Just go! I have something I must confirm!"

"Go where?" Kira queried. The path they trailed by was already blocked by debris. "I can't go back anymore."

Cagalli hissed in frustration. Kira ignored her look of irritation and grabbed her arm, glancing around for a possible exit. "Err.. this way!"

"Let me go, you idiot!" Cagalli snapped, and bit her lips with the realization of death finally hitting on her. "If it comes to this, I-"

"It'll be alright, we'll be saved!" Kira assured, quickening his steps. "There should still be shelter if we go to the factory."

**+Destiny Child+**

Rusty had just thrown a grenade over to the other side when he caught a lock of violet behind a military vehicle near him. Suspicious, he started to shoot at the vehicle. He stopped and in fact froze when he heard feminine cries among the chaos. _'A girl…?'_

Alix thought she was a goner when a shadow suddenly loomed over her. She gasped and held her breath apprehensively at the rifle pointing right at her face. For a moment, she thought she was going to get _another one of those_ in her.

Rusty muttered an expletive and yanked the violet-haired civilian he just discovered up on her feet. With all these flying bullets, it was simply too dangerous to stay here. Especially for a helpless girl like her.

What the hell was the ORB military doing anyway?

Alix involuntarily sagged against the soldier in red. He was dragging her away, but where? She couldn't care. She simply did not have the strength to retaliate against him, but she thought she was damned if that was the ZAFT emblem she saw on his uniform.

She was shoved into a corner of steel when she finally heard him spoke, "Stay here!" Then, he was gone.

Alix, amidst her disorientation, thought the action of the ZAFT soldier contradictory. _'Did he just.. help me..?'_ She dared a quick peek to find the soldier, but bullets flying past her sent her back into her little corner again. She instinctively yelped and cringed further back into her corner when she heard a few more others aiming at her shield of steels. For a moment, she was tortured with riotous resonance of flying bullets, explosions and shouts of deaths around her. Why, a couple of them even fell bloodily right in front of her, sending her into moments of hysteria.

"Get away from there!"

She perked up at the voice. It was him. She knew it was him. Alix barely carried herself out of her hiding place when she felt herself hurled to God knows where by an explosion behind her. She lay motionless; face down, as the last of her strength slipped away…

**+Destiny Child+**

Both Kira and Cagalli were relived to see light in front of them. They ran, with all their might, only to be stopped short when they reached the open. Right below them lay what Cagalli dreaded most – Mobile Suits.

_ORB_'s Mobile Suits.

As for Kira, he was dazed by what was happening before them. And he found the two gigantic robots below them especially awing. "This is…"

Cagalli slumped down, grabbing the railing with utter disappointment.

Damn. She was right all along.

"Just as I thought…" She uttered in dismay. "EAF's new mobile weapons…FATHER, YOU TRAITOR!"

Murrue turned instinctively at the holler and aimed her rifle at the source. Kira gasped when he saw the threat. He grabbed Cagalli just in time before the bullets had their chance with her. "It's no joke! We're getting out of here!"

Murrue halted her shots in shock when she realized who she was shooting. "Kids…?"

"It's no use crying!" Kira tried to coax while pulling Cagalli to run faster. "Just run!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak had a change of mind when he saw the Gundams. He thought it was a pity to self-destruct these state-of-the-art toys. He thought it would be better if they made them _theirs_. With that, he commanded Dearka and Nicol to pilot them instead. Of course, he couldn't miss out this kind of fun. He raised an eyebrow, impressed, when he activated GAT-X102 Duel Gundam. "Wow.. Pretty impressive. How is it for you over there, Dearka?"

"Okay, updater activated, neuro-link okay, calibration completed. Gear up!" GAT-X103 Buster Gundam started to move after that.

Yzak then matched his radio frequency with Nicol's "Nicol?"

"Please wait a moment." Nicol responded. He thought his Gundam was somewhat different from Yzak's and Dearka's. "Just a little more… done." GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam rose after that.

"What about Athrun and Rusty?" Dearka asked. He was starting to worry about them. "They're late…"

Yzak snorted. He knew Rusty, if not Athrun was hard to kill, given their abilities. "They'll be okay. Anyway, we'll deliver these three back first. Don't let them get destroyed before we handed them over to Commander Creuset."

**+Destiny Child+**

They finally found a shelter.

"See, there are people taking shelter here." Kira said, catching his breath as he pressed the speaker button. Cagalli turned away. She did not give a damn about finding shelters, now she had found out the truth.

A voice responded. "There are still people out there?"

"Yes, a friend and I.. Please open the door!" Kira responded.

"Two?" The voice responded.

"Yes."

"We're already full. Shelter 37 is in the left block. Can you get there?"

Kira then glanced at their surroundings looking for Shelter 37 when he realized there was a bit of a distance to cover before reaching that shelter. He thought Cagalli would not be able to take it, given her unshakable depression. "Then at least take one of us, a girl!"

"Ok. Really sorry about that." The door slid open after that.

"Get in." Kira ordered. Cagalli was too deep in her thoughts to catch Kira. With a grunt of impatience, Kira grabbed Cagalli and shoved her inside the lift to the shelter.

"No, I-" Cagalli started to protest.

"Just get in!" Kira interjected, trying to stop her from protesting by grabbing her hands. "I'll get to the other one! It'll be okay." With that, he gave her a final hard push and hit the button to shut the lift.

"Wait! You-" Cagalli trailed off as the lift went down against her will.

'_Okay. I'll make it to the shelter.'_ Kira heartened himself the moment he was alone. Along the way, he caught the two gigantic robots again and most important of all, he spotted the lady officer who tried to shoot them down just now. _'Don't think about them. Just move on!'_ Then, he spotted a threat aiming for the lady officer. Without a second thought, he shouted, "Look out! Behind you!"

Murrue reacted the moment she heard the warning. She whirled around and cleared the threat when she saw Kira. "The kid just now… Why..?" She hastily reloaded her gun and cleared another enemy when she saw Kira still standing there, which by no way was it safe.

"Come here!" She shouted. It was the least she could do for the kid who saved her life. – Protection.

Kira thought it was more dangerous down there. "I'll head for the shelter in the next block! Don't worry about me!"

"The only thing that was left is the door!" Murrue shouted back.

Kira gasped in dismay at what he just heard. He was unsure of what to do for a moment when an explosion hit on his right side, which was the shelter he was getting to. He tumbled to the ground; his first reaction when he pulled himself to feet was to get away from this area prone to explosions when Murrue shouted to him again. "Come here!"

This time, without hesitation, Kira did as told. He jumped down from where he was, and Murrue was surprised when he landed almost perfectly.

Something inside her triggered.

**+Destiny Child+**

Rusty was outraged when he spotted Alix's lifeless body in the distance. "That was a civilian, you assholes!"

He began firing fiercely after that.

Athrun, baffled by Rusty's out of the blue outburst over the radio, had to press his hands on his earpiece to hear better amidst the chaos surrounding them. "I don't copy. Rusty, what civilian?"

He never heard his reply.

Instead, he caught him nearby firing incessantly at the enemies. He was about to back him up and demand an explanation from him when his green orbs witnessed the unthinkable.

Rusty was shot.

"Rusty!" Consumed by raw shock and fury, Athrun let out a bellow of anguish as he ran towards his dying comrade, aiming at no one in particular as he fired incessantly, letting his emotional state of mind taking over the actions of his body.

"Hamada!" Murrue shouted in shock when her comrade was shot. She saw a ZAFT soldier then, and was about to shoot him but her reflexes were not as fast as the Coordinator. She was shot instead in the shoulder. Yelping out in pain, she fell backwards.

Kira immediately rushed to her side when he caught a flash of red coming towards them at the corner of his apprehensive eyes. He tilted his head up instinctively to meet him. His violet orbs widened in recognition at the pair of emerald orbs staring ferociously down at them.

It was the pair of emerald orbs that he had once seen so often.

It was…"Athrun…?"

Athrun froze his actions in midair as he too, recognized the figure in front of him. "Kira…?"

**+Destiny Child+**

The system was activated.

/Welcome to M.O.S/

/Mobile Suit Operation System/

/Version NV8 – N099/

/Oppose Military & Neutralize Invasion Enforcer/

/O.M.N.I. Enforcer/

/**G**-eneral/

/**U**-nilateral/

/**N**-euro-Link/

/**D**-ispersive/

/**A**-utonomic/

/**M**-aneuver/

/Synthesis System/

Breathing heavily, Alix tried to concentrate on the screen. Every part of her was screaming for attention now, especially her mind. Her brain to be exact. _'Please… just go away!'_ In an effort to suppress the agony of her mind, Alix pressed her hands on her forehead only to realize her hands were wet with blood.

Her blood.

But no, she was not shot in the head, though she wished it was. Her head was throbbing with such intensity now that she wished she could just drop dead. But Samantha came into mind, and so were Cagalli, Shinn, and Roy. The moment she thought of them, she pressed on. She pressed her left arm and grimaced at the severe pain the action caused. Her left sleeve was already soaked with her blood, and her wound couldn't seem to stop gushing.

She didn't know whether she should be thankful for the shot or not.

She was awakened by a bellow of outrage a while ago. Though Alix could not figure out where the bellow came from, she could vaguely make out what was before her.

GAT-X303 Aegis.

The Gundam was like a lifebuoy then, beckoning her to make her escape with it.

With a spurt of will, Alix staggered to her feet and climbed towards the cockpit. She stumbled twice for her effort and just when she thought she was not going to make it, a shot from nowhere sent her right into where she wanted – the cockpit of Aegis.

Alix shook her head when her vision was starting to blur. She tried to focus on the screen again and instinctively triggered some other buttons when her stressed emerald orbs spotted two figures from the screen.

One was in red combat uniform, and Alix wondered for a moment whether it was the same soldier who saved her just now. The other was hidden from her view by the back of the soldier in red. Alix only managed to catch a speck of brown when the hidden figure moved ever so slightly.

Then, the red soldier moved, sprinting towards her direction as he dodged a couple of shots. It was then Alix got the full view of the hidden figure. She thought it was unbelievable to see him here. "Kira… Yamato-kun..?"

She saw him fall into what seemed to be also a cockpit after being pushed, with his pusher following right after him. Was it really him? Alix couldn't be sure. She did not have the chance to figure out anyway, when a sudden impact came crushing down on her.

Athrun cursed in sheer frustration when he felt something beneath him. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the mass of violet hair. "A.. girl…?"

Now, that was certainly the last thing he expected to encounter in a cockpit. The screen grabbed his attention then; as he realized the Gundam was already activated. Was it her who activated it? Anyhow, she was hastily pushed aside in his mind when he saw GAT-X105 Strike Gundam moved. The good-natured Kira flashed across his mind then. What the hell was he doing here? Most importantly, why was he helping the EAF?

With all these questions in mind, Athrun pulled the seemingly half-dead girl out of the way and hastily checked her pulse. It was weak, but nonetheless, it was still beating. He checked the setup next, and was glad that whatever needed to be modified and activated has been modified and activated. He glanced at the unconscious girl then, noticing the wound on her left arm.

As the area fell into destruction, GAT-X105 Strike and GAT-X303 Aegis rose into the air.


	14. His & Her Circumstances

**Chapter 14: His and Her Circumstances **

Samantha was relaxing on Cagalli's bed, singing softly along with the pop songs on the radio on her iPOD when the station she was listening to was suddenly interrupted by news flash. She twisted her lips in annoyance and was about to change the channel when she heard the word 'Helipolis'.

After that, she just could not move.

**+Destiny Child+**

"What the…" Shinn felt a shiver down his spine when he caught the news on his television.

It was simply… unbelievable.

"Onii-chan!" Mayu rushed out from her bedroom with her iPOD in her hands. She wanted her brother to listen to the news. "Helipolis wa-!" she abruptly stopped herself when she saw the news on the television. God, watching it was worse; Helipolis looked like a replica of Junius Seven. She glanced over at her brother.

Shinn was stupefied.

Knowing nothing she said now could help matters; she went up to her brother and hugged him instead. After all, all they could do now was pray.

**+Destiny Child+**

When Alix awoke, she could not recognize where she was. She was on a bed, that she knew. Closing her eyes, she tried desperately to clear her mind.

_Nothing_.

Alix opened her eyes again and looked around slowly.

Unfamiliarity.

Was she dead? She took a deep breath upon that thought and the antiseptic smell hit on her immediately.

No. She was still alive.

She glanced at her wounded arm for affirmation. It was dressed. She reached for her face. The bruised areas were taken care of. She tried to move her legs, and realized they were bandaged too. Yes. She was alive alright. Now, the million-dollar question, WHERE was she?

She decided to find out.

Using all the strength she could manage to muster, Alix stumbled out of the bed. She grimaced at the sting her hands felt when she pulled them free from the drip. When she took the first step, she knew her strength had not returned. When she took another, she fell to her knees, feeling the dizziness still creeping up at the back of her mind.

Okay. At least she figured she was in a room. Now, if she could just get out from here…

"You shouldn't be moving around, given your condition."

Before Alix could summon a reply, she felt herself being scooped up from the floor. She lifted her fatigued green orbs at the voice, and green saw green.

Athrun blinked his eyes in mild surprise when he noticed the color of her eyes. When was the last time he saw the pair of eyes that mirrored his own?

"Where… am I?" Alix asked, pulling her gaze away from Athrun, starting to feel weird all of a sudden looking into the pair of eyes that looked quite like hers. The feeling was… indefinable, and definitely different when she was with Shinn.

"Vesalius." Athrun answered matter-of-factly. He carefully settled her back on bed, making sure he would not aggravate her wounds. Alix remained silent as she watched Athrun re-insert the drip on her hand, and sat down beside her. When Athrun saw the perplexed look on her face, he assumed she did not understand. "ZAFT ship."

Alix's reaction was immediate, though not as big as Athrun had expected. The weariness in her eyes was suddenly replaced by shock and she looked like she wanted to say something, though in the end, she didn't. "How did I…?" Alix trailed off, unable to recall.

"I found you in X303 Aegis Gundam." Athrun informed her, thinking she should know about it. At the same time he thought of questioning her as to how she ended up in the activated Gundam. On a separate note, he found it surprising that he felt rather comfortable around her. The feeling was distinctively different as he was when with Lacus, but he could not put a finger on it.

Alix stared at Athrun at the mention of the Gundam. Everything started to come back to her then. ORB was lending military resources to the Alliance. She was involved. She had an argument with her mother regarding this. ZAFT attacked them. She was caught in the crossfire. She was trying to escape. She saw… "Kira Yamato-kun?" '_Was it really him that I saw?'_

Despite the fact that Alix said the name in a whisper, Athrun heard it nevertheless. He stood up abruptly, startling Alix a bit, "You know Kira?"

From the way Athrun said the name, Alix thought it was _him_ who knew the person in question. She shrugged, "Sort of."

When Athrun turned away, Alix thought he looked vexed. Why, he had even clenched his fists.

"You know him." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Before he could help it, Athrun blurted, "I've known him since I was four or five." His own bluntness made him scowl. Why was he so frank towards the girl he hardly knew? He decided he must have let his guard down, since he felt comfortable around her.

Alix nodded. "I see. Is he on this ship too?"

"He was with the Earth Alliance." Athrun spat, and again he was surprised at his outburst. He had never flared up in front of others before; not before his Father, not before Lacus, and definitely not before to strangers.

A mild frown crossed her face. Though Alix understood the enmity between the two governments, she thought she saw something more in Athrun.

Athrun had not realized how upset he became until he felt Alix's touch on his arm. He was about to apologize for his behavior when Alix asked the one question that totally changed his mind.

"Why do you hate the Alliance so much?"

"…" His eyes turned away from her.

Alix was a little taken aback by Athrun's change of temperament. All of the sudden, he turned cold, distant. A moment of heavy silence hung between them until they heard the radio summoning him, "Calling for Athrun Zala. Please report to the Commander's office now."

Without a word, Athrun started out of the ward. When the door slid open, he turned his head slightly sideway. "Murderers don't deserve to live," he said scathingly. Alix widened her eyes at that, but said nothing in reply. He wanted to dismiss Alix then and there, but her words delayed him.

"I believe Kira Yamato-kun is only a student. Like me." The door slid close following her remark.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun slammed his fists on the wall the moment he was alone. He was not sure what frustrated him; the mention of Kira or the reminder of his Mother's death. He knew he was being rude to walk away like that but he couldn't care.

'_She's a naïve fool.' _

With that conclusion in mind, Athrun kept his feelings in check, and started towards Rau's office.

**+Destiny Child+**

The nagging concern at the back of her mind about her own identity bloomed the moment Alix was alone. She glanced around the ward and thought she was as good as dead.

Of all ships, how on earth did she end up in a ZAFT one?

Now that the war has gone this far, if they knew she was Gladys Whitley's daughter, she would most probably be used against ORB, or even the Earth Alliance, given her Mother's eminence in both governments.

No matter what, until she found a way out of here, her identity must not be revealed.

**+Destiny Child+**

Rau fingered the necklace in his hands, thinking it looked somewhat familiar. _'Where have I seen this before…?'_

It was a silver necklace with an intricately designed 'AZ' pendant. He brushed his gloved fingers across the carved 'lix' on the horizontal line of the 'A' with suspicion. _'Could it be…? But isn't she…?'_

He averted his attention to the ID pass to affirm his suspicion. It was among other belongings sprawled all over his desk which was handed over to him by the medics. The passport-sized photo of the violet-haired girl on the card grabbed his attention immediately, and he couldn't help but be surprised. _'Could it really be…?'_

He placed the two pieces of evidence in front of him on his desk, wanting to study it when her medical report at the corner of his desk caught his eyes. He swept through the contents, focusing particularly on her genetic background.

'_Same eye color, same blood type, same genetics… And they looked so much alike, like their mother… If his sister is alive, she should be around this age too.' _He glanced at the necklace at that thought, then at the ID pass, before returning his gaze to the medical report in his hands.

Conclusion?

He smirked, for his suspicions were _almost_ confirmed. However, when he noticed her last name, everything clicked and he couldn't help but let out ripples of sardonic laughter.

He could never understand… no, he could never defeat the irony of Fate.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun checked himself again when he reached Rau's office. He took a deep breath, "Athrun Zala. Here as ordered."

"Oh, come in." The door slid open right after that. Athrun strode in and offered his salute to Rau. Without looking up at his subordinate while he typed his report, Rau's acknowledgement was straight to the point, "You had some problems with Helipolis's collapse." Only then did he decide to give Athrun his full attention. "Sorry about talking to you this late."

"Yes, Sir. Sorry about the last battle."

"I won't punish you, but I want to hear your story. It wasn't like you when you did that, Athrun."

Athrun's brows wrinkled; not because he messed up his last sortie but at Alix's words resurfacing in his mind. _"I believe Kira Yamato-kun is only a student. Like me."_

"You were right beside it when that mobile suit started to move, right?"

Athrun decided to speak, "Sorry about it. I got carried away by something. That last mobile suit, Kira Yamato was inside. He was a close friend of mine at the Moon's junior school. He's also a Coordinator."

"Ohh?" _'Kira Yamato?'_

"I didn't think I would meet him in such a place, so I wanted to check it out."

"I see. War is very tragic." _'And very interesting. It lets you meet people you never expect to meet.'_ "I can't say anything about your problem. Was he a close friend?"

It was a helpless, "Yes…"

"I see. You'll be excused from the next sortie."

Athrun was unprepared for that decision. "Eh?"

"You can't fight against a friend," Rau explained. "I really don't want to order that either."

"It's okay, Sir!" Athrun protested, obviously upset by the decision. "That is-"

"Even though he was your close friend, we can't let him get away since he's our enemy now. I hope you'll understand that."

'_But I don't want to be his enemy!'_ "Kira is…that guy is being used by those Naturals. He's pretty smart, but too naïve. He won't notice that... so I want to persuade him. He is a Coordinator after all! I'm sure he'll understand us!"

"I understand your feelings. But what if he doesn't agree?"

"Then…" Athrun gave it thought, for he never thought of that possibility beforehand. "I'll shoot him down."

"How was the girl you brought back?"

Athrun was caught off-guard by the sudden change of subject. At least, he did not expect a mere civilian would arouse the concern of his Commander. It took him a moment to answer, "She has gained conscious, but is still weak."

"I see. You've talked to her?"

"Yes, Sir."

Rau smiled, a reaction Athrun couldn't quite interpret.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix stared at the ceiling, wondering about the safety of her mother and Cagalli when she heard, "I'm coming in."

The door to her ward slid open following that and her heart started to race the moment she recognized the uniform of the masked man filing the entrance. It was that of a ZAFT Commander. In other words, the highest authority in this ship.

Was she found out?

"I'm sorry to call upon you this late." Rau started to say. He dismissed the two soldiers trailing behind him when he noticed Alix's furtive glances at them. When they were left alone, Rau continued, "By way of introduction, I'm Rau Le Creuset, Commander of Vesalius."

Alix tried to sit up, and Rau helped her, noticing she avoided eye contact.

'_What is he going to do about me? He can't just… kill me, right…?'_

'_How is the Father going to react to this, I wonder…?'_

Rau decided to be the one to break the silence when Alix continued to keep quiet. "How are you?"

"Fine," came the whispered reply.

"Don't worry." Rau assured, reckoning she was afraid. Well, she should be. "We don't torture civilians, and we certainly won't mistreat one."

As soft as Rau had spoken, Alix was still concerned. "How long am I going to stay here?"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to leave so soon, Miss _Whitley_." Alix frowned at the emphasis of her last name.

So, she was indeed found out.

"What are you going to do about me?" Alix dared to ask.

Rau smirked. He caught the hint of defiance in her. He found it admiring, as most girls would have broken down and sobbed their hearts out already. _'She has your guts, Patrick Zala.'_ "As I said, we won't mistreat civilians, especially when she is an important one."

"I'll kill myself before you had the chance to use me."

Rau let out a chuckle, and then he said, "I don't see the need to."

Alix narrowed her eyes.

"I think you are unclear of the situation now, aren't you, Miss Whitley? Can I call you Alix instead?"

Alix was more concerned about what he said first. "What are you talking about?"

"Why don't I show you?"

**+Destiny Child+**

Everyone saluted the second they entered the Centre of Vesalius. Alix tried her best to straighten her shoulders and keep her head high despite all eyes on her. And Athrun, she noticed, had this questioning look that seemed to demand an answer through those green eyes of his.

She looked away.

Rau darted his eyes between the oblivious Zala siblings. Since they were standing close to each other now, it was easy to see the physical similarities between them. _'Oh Patrick Zala, I can see how proud you are of your boy and girl…'_ All in all, things were getting amusingly interesting. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Miss Alix Whitley."

Alix flinched inwardly at the mention of her name, it was like baring herself naked in front of tigers that were waiting to prey. The reactions she received were gasps of surprise, looks of disgust, and whispered opinions. God, she'd rather be shot.

"I'll like you to treat her as kindly as you should be during her stay with us." Everyone frowned at each other at that. Alix wanted to have her say, but Rau interrupted her by rubbing against her arm when he leaned forward. "She is an important guest, no matter how you look at it."

Alix frowned. Geez, was she even here? She tried to voice her opinion again, but Rau sidestepped her again when he gestured to an officer whom Alix recognized to be that of a Captain. "Alix, this is Fredrik Ades, Captain of Vesalius."

The Captain gave a polite nod, and Alix though halfhearted, nodded back nevertheless. Rau then guided her to look Athrun. "This is Athrun Zala. He's the one who saved you." Alix noticed Athrun earned an immediate condemned glare from his silver-haired comrade on the screen. Alix decided to dislike him.

Then she remembered, "No." turning her attention to Athrun. As chaotic as it was during then, Alix remembered the ZAFT soldier who saved her, and it was certainly not Athrun. "It's not him."

She swept her emerald eyes across the Centre and the screen showing the crew of Gamow, but her savior was nowhere in sight. Finally, her gaze rested on a dark-skinned soldier on board Gamow, purposefully skipping the silver-haired one beside him, for she was sure it was not him, judging from his reaction just now. _'Not him…'_ Next was a green-haired soldier, he offered a mild smile when Alix looked at him. Out of courtesy, Alix nodded at him. _'Not him either…'_

"Could it be Rusty?" Athrun asked. "I heard him saying something like seeing a civilian over the radio before..."

"Rusty…?" Alix pondered over the possibility. "Where is he now?"

"Dead." That came from the silver-haired soldier, Alix frowned at him. How could anyone mention death so casually, especially if it was referring to your comrade? Her conclusion of her first impression of him was that of a dog. No, worse than a dog. Even dogs showed sorrow when someone close to them died. She gave him an once-over glance, and realized he did not look like the sort who would shed tears for anyone. In other words, a cold-blooded beast.

She kept her stare of displeasure on him. "How?"

He snorted, "By saving you, what else?"

"Mind your manners, Yzak." Rau chided. "I will not tolerate insolence to Alix."

Both Yzak and Alix felt annoyed, though with different reasons. Yzak was pissed off by the fact that Rau, of all people, was acting nice to the _Natural_ lass, while Alix was bothered by the fact that Rau was acting as if he knew her.

They were both interrupted by the CIC of Vesalius. "Archangel detected. Distance, 200. Yellow 3317. Mark, 01C. Route 0-0. Pilots, please standby your units."

Yzak scoffed, feeling his anticipation building up. "Show time. Commander, please excuse us."

Alix was too shocked to care that Yzak rolled his eyes at her before he disappeared on the screen along with Dearka and Nicol behind him. Athrun hesitated, but excused himself anyway. When Alix saw the thermal heat belonging assumingly to the Archangel on the CIC screen, she blurted, "Archangel… This ship is pursuing Archangel…?"

"I see you are getting to know the situation." Rau commented behind her. "Why don't you stay here and observe the rest?"

**+Destiny Child+**

"I'm detecting massive thermal energy seemingly belonging from a big ship." The CIC in Archangel reported. "Distance, 200. Yellow 3317. Mark, 01C. Route 0-0."

"Beside us?" Mwu exclaimed. "The same destination as well?"

Murrue was instantly concerned. "Did we get detected?"

Natarle, beside Murrue, was just as concerned. "But then, if-"

"Target is surpassing our ship. It's of Nazca class," The CIC further reported. Tension immediately escalated within Archangel.

Mwu scowled at their situation. "Looks like they are getting ahead of us so they can aim for our head."

"What about the Laurasia class?" Natarle asked, thinking it must be near too.

"Please wait," the CIC tried desperately to quicken his pace of typing while attempting to keep an optimistic mind at their situation. "At six o' clock 300. The thermal energy is approaching at a very fast speed."

Natarle and Murrue frowned at each other for that.

Mwu sighed. "If things go like this, it's only a matter of time we'll be caught by the Laurasia class. If we start the engine now to get away, the Nazca class will catch us. Hey," Mwu turned to the officer beside him. "Pass me the map of the surrounding area and the data of the two ships."

"Do you have an idea?" Murrue asked.

Mwu turned back his chair, Murrue thought he looked pretty relaxed despite the tense situation they were in. "I'll have to think about it."

**+Destiny Child+**

"Enemy detected. Enemy detected. First battle position. Anybody with military experience, please go to their assigned positions."

'_Not again,'_ Kira thought upon hearing the radio announcement.

"Kira Yamato, please come to the bridge."

'_!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix knew it was a foolish question, but she asked anyway. "What are you going to do to Archangel?"

Rau smirked, a look Alix started to hate. "I'm sure you're intelligent enough to figure it out."

Alix wanted to retort, but Fredrik interrupted her. "What is that?"

Alix turned to look at the screen, and saw something like a shield spreading out somewhere in front of them. _'That's Artemis… Archangel is seeking refuge there…?'_

Her worry for the ship tripled that instant.

"It's the umbrella of Artemis." Rau informed. "They've probably detected us now. So it's expanding."

"We got here without detecting Earth's prototype ship," Fredrik commented.

Alix sighed. There they go again, talking as if she was not there.

"You just got ahead. We'll take it from there." Rau glanced at Alix after he said that. He noticed she had a death grip on the chair that was offered to her.

Alix refused to look at Rau, so she focused on the screen instead.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Start the engine in two minutes. Prepare to launch the Strike," Murrue ordered.

**+Destiny Child+**

In.

'_The Lieutenant will be the decoy and shoot the enemies in front'_

Out.

'_And I will protect the ship from behind.'_

In.

'_Is this going to work?'_

Out.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

Kira could only hear himself breathing within the cockpit of Strike. He closed his eyes as Mwu's words kept flashing across his restless mind. _"You and I are the only ones who can protect this ship."_

"Kira."

Kira looked up at his screen at the voice. "Miriallia?"

"I'll take battle control of the mobile suit and the mobile armor from now on. Please guide me along the way!" Miriallia said enthusiastically, even winking at him through the screen.

"You have to say please guide me along the way, Sir." Miriallia pouted her lips at the correction, and Kira smiled.

Yes, he had to protect his friends. Friends who did not abandon him, and even cheered him on by helping out as temporary crewmembers.

Yes, he would place his life on the line to make them safe. But then, Athrun invaded his mind. _'Athrun… Are you coming to shoot down this ship again…?'_

"The equipment is Aile Striker." Natarle's voice boomed through his system, causing his thoughts to snap, he assumed she was talking to him. "The enemies will approach as soon as Archangel moves, got that?"

Kira gulped, almost choking when he said, "Yes!"

**+Destiny Child+**

At the Centre of Archangel, the atmosphere was especially tense.

"Start up the engines and shoot the special cannon," Murrue ordered, feeling her anxiety building up. No matter what, they would never surrender. "Target the Nazca class upfront."

"Fire the Lohengrin." Natarle ordered next.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix turned her attention to the CIC when he reported, "Thermal energy detected from the front. Detecting massive thermal energy behind that. It's a battleship."

"Evade it." Fredrik ordered.

"So they shoot blindly after noticing us…?" Rau commented. He then turned to Alix. "What say you, Alix?"

"I say you're going to lose," Alix answered flatly.

Rau smirked. "We shall see about that."

**+Destiny Child+**

"Thermal energy detected. Predicting it as enemy battleship."

The Captain of Gamow couldn't help but be impressed by his Commander when he heard the report from his CIC. Everything was going as expected by Rau, and now it was time for real action.

"Launch the mobile suits."

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix was somewhat between glad and anxious when Athrun appeared on the screen. "I'll take your word for it, Athrun Zala," Rau said.

"Yes, Sir." He withdrew from the screen after that.

Alix was curious, but decided not to ask. She found it surprising that she was praying for Athrun's safety already. A moment later, she heard him on the CIC screen.

"Athrun Zala, _Aegis_. Launch!"

Alix froze when she heard the name.

**+Destiny Child+**

"One mobile suit has launched from the Nazca class upfront." The CIC of Archangel reported.

Natarle turned to Murrue for that. "Captain."

"Go ahead." Murrue instructed.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Kira Yamato. Launch the Strike." He heard.

He took a deep breath and clasped the accelerator. "Roger."

"_You and I are the only ones who can protect this ship."_

"_You always fight to protect us, right?"_

"_In this situation, we wanted to fight if we could."_

CLEAR.

CLEAR.

CLEAR.

**LAUNCH**.

Come what may, so be it. "Kira Yamato. Gundam. Launch!"


	15. Expect the Unexpected

**Chapter 15: Expect the Unexpected**

Samantha slammed her hands on the desk when the ORB officer dared to shake his head at her again.

"It couldn't be! You must have missed her name! Check again, it's Alix Whitley! Alix Whitley!"

The ORB officer felt helpless as he glanced at his notebook. How could he possibly miss _the_ name? "But Samantha-sama, I've checked four times already. If Alix-sa-"

Samantha refused to listen to other possibilities. "She IS in one of the shuttles! How ab-"

"Cagalli!"

Samantha spun around at the recognition of the whiny voice belonging to Yuna Seiran. She easily spotted the ORB princess despite the hordes of Helipolis refugees between them. She watched as Cagalli descended from one of the escaped shuttle, only to be fussed about by her fiancé and his group of bodyguards circling them. Without hesitation, she ran to her.

"I'm sooo glad you're alright!" Yuna tried to hug Cagalli then, but a tug on his collar stopped him short. "What the…!?"

Cagalli broke out of her daze when she saw her cousin. "Samantha..."

Yuna nursed his neck as he chipped in. "Hey Samantha, that was ru-"

"Is Alix with you?" Samantha demanded, totally ignoring Yuna as she glanced around Cagalli anxiously.

Realization sank in upon the question, and Cagalli let out a soft gasp. She had totally forgotten about Alix. "Isn't she… with Aunt?"

The reply sent Samantha's emotions reeling so much that she could only stare at Cagalli, speechless and disoriented. She was informed earlier by Mira that her mother had gotten to safety, but Alix was not with her. Now, judging from Cagalli's response, it seemed that Alix was not with her either…

If Alix was with neither of them, if Alix was not in the name lists of the escaped shuttles from Helipolis, then was she…? God! She could not even think about _the_ _word_!

"Samantha!" Cagalli was startled when Samantha suddenly yanked her by the collar. She instinctively tried to pull her hands off, but was stopped short when she saw the look on Samantha's face.

Samantha hissed, she wanted to scream, but nothing came out from her except her tears. The bodyguards ceased trying to separate the two when they saw the flow of emotions, understanding the cause behind the blonde missy's outburst. They in fact rolled their eyes at Yuna, who started barking orders incessantly.

"Oh, you bunch of good-for-nothings!" Yuna whined, throwing up his hands when the bodyguards simply stood there watching Samantha ravaged his Cagalli. With a huff, he tried to stop Samantha himself. "Samantha! Let go of Cagalli this minute or I-" he held his tongue when Samantha turned to glare at him through her glistening blue-violet eyes. His expression showed fear and disdain as he stuttered the rest of his words. "Or... or I shall tell Uzumi-sama that you… you uh... you tried to impersonate Cagalli while... uh... while she's out on vacation!"

"Yuna!" Cagalli snapped. Her stupid fiancé always had this bad habit of assuming situations before he got the facts. She wanted to tell him off when the figure behind him turned her attention. _'Shit!'_ was the first thing that came into her mind. "Aunt…"

The blurted greeting caused all heads to turn to Gladys Whitley. Yuna looked relieved, while their bodyguards immediately bowed in respect to her presence as she approached them with her group of bodyguards. When Samantha loosened her hold on Cagalli and whirled around to meet Gladys, she knew her mother had overheard everything.

Her piercing glare fixed on her told it all.

"What do you mean, Yuna?" Gladys demanded, her eyes never leaving her daughter. "Make yourself clear."

Yuna opened his mouth to speak, but a threatening glare from Samantha caused him to hesitate. Cagalli tried to use that to her advantage, "What Yuna meant wa-"

"I'm asking Yuna." Gladys interjected firmly.

Cagalli bit her lip. She had to admit that her Aunt awed her, far more than her Father. Yuna cleared his throat as if he scored a victory. "I caught Saman-"

"I impersonated Cagalli." Samantha admitted, meeting her mother's glare with her own. She preferred to be the one who let the cat out of the bag, than to have it distorted by Seiran the Hypocrite. Anyhow, it was just her luck that she bumped into him when she burst out from Cagalli's bedroom. "And she impersonated me. We switched identities. What's the big deal?"

Yuna gasped at her, inwardly impressed at the same time disgusted at her bravado. He dared a peek at Gladys, and instinctively backed away. Cagalli looked fretfully back and forth between mother and daughter. Damn! How could they get out of this?

As for Gladys, well, she was outraged at the confession.

No.

She was outraged at her daughter's rebellious tone at her.

Correction...

She was outraged for both!

The main royal family of ORB had always been the role model for people around the world. What would they say of them if word of this frivolity got out? Tarnishing the family name was one thing; it was the Emirs that worried Gladys. They would certainly make a big fuss about it, and _that_ would affect her standing in the government! Just why couldn't Samantha, of all people understand that? And if it was Cagalli in Morgenroete Facilities in Helipolis all this while, then… anyway, she couldn't care about that now.

Her initial response was to slap Samantha for her insolence, but she stopped her hand in midair when she remembered how upset Alix looked after she slapped her. It was then it dawned on her that Alix most probably had a hand in it as well, recalling her hesitancy in replying questions with regards to Samantha. Her anger intensified, for this daughter has always been the obedient one.

"Was Alix involved?" Gladys demanded, realizing only now Alix was nowhere in sight. She looked around. "Where is she?"

"Gladys-sama."

Gladys, irritated at the interruption, nonetheless, turned to acknowledge her personal assistant who just flipped his phone close. "What?"

Glancing furtively at the three teens before him, Douglas leaned close to Gladys and whispered the news of the mobile suits and the ship. When he was finished, Gladys was in a fit. "Whoa! Didn't we commence the transportation before the assault? How the hell did that happen? Damned ZAFT! Arrange an emergency meet-"

She was stopped short when Samantha stormed right past her. She shouted after her, but Samantha never turned back. Ireful at her daughter's behavior, Gladys tried to send some of the bodyguards after her. Cagalli impeded her by blocking their way; she knew how Samantha was feeling. Here her other daughter was missing or perhaps dead, yet all the mother cared was work? While Gladys was agitated by what she heard from Douglas, she watched as Samantha inclined her head with clenched fists. It was obvious from her blonde cousin's behavior that _this_ was _not_ the first time. "Alix is missing, Aunt."

Gladys didn't expect to hear that. "What?"

"Alix is missing." Cagalli repeated, feeling a shiver down her spine after she said that.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. Exhaustion had taken its toll, and she was feeling lightheaded again. Her wet brows furrowed deeper as she involuntarily recalled Athrun's words. _"I found you in X303 Aegis Gundam."_

Damn!

She should have known! – That the act of attacking Helipolis was not simply because they had crossed the line of neutrality.

Thoroughly enjoying the play of expressions on Alix's face, Rau raised an amused eyebrow when Alix turned to glare at him.

"ZAFT came for the mobile suits." Alix stated bitterly as she tried to suppress the stress building up in her head. "ZAFT _wanted_ the mobile suits! That's why you attacked Helipolis! Isn't that so, _Rau_?"

All heads turned towards her, flabbergasted at her show of impudence towards their Commander. However, in Alix's opinion, it was merely 'tit for tat'.

Rau shrugged. "Yes."

He sounded as if they were right to do that, which made Alix even more disconcerted. She bounced right off her swivel chair with the intention to vent her emotions, when a pink diskette in Rau's outstretched hand stuck several things in her mind at once. For starters, it was her diskette that contained the details of the Gundams…

"I believe this is yours." Rau said wryly. "Very impressive, I must say."

Alix snatched the diskette back. It was apparent they had gone through the data, how else would Athrun have launched? They must have stolen her bag, she reckoned, where everything regarding her was contained, which also explained why her cover was blown that quickly. And in it, there was her necklace. "I would like to have my bag back."

"It's in your ward as we speak." Rau answered. As if reading her mind, he added, "Don't worry, everything's intact."

"Yeah right." Alix countered sarcastically.

Things had certainly gone _way _out of her expectations. Initially, her confidence in Archangel was high. All because she thought the Gundams were with her. Now, she was not sure anymore. She clasped the diskette tighter. As much as she dreaded to know, she needed to know. "Where... are the others?"

"Duel, Buster and Blitz have launched from Gamof." The CIC interrupted.

Alix held her breath as she heard that. There was one more Gundam that the CIC failed to mention. Was it because they failed to steal that Gundam? A glimmer of hope rose at the back of her mind as she asked, "What about Strike?"

Rau smirked. "Flourish shall thou obey. Perish shall thou rebel."

**+Destiny Child+**

"Three thermal energy readings detected from behind." The CIC of Archangel reported. "Distance, 67! They are mobile suits!"

Murrue clenched her fists. "They came after all."

"Prepare for anti mobile suits battle." Natarle commanded with a sense of urgency. "Missile launch ready from 13 to 24. Linear pad, variant, positive gunner movement. Input the target data, hurry up!"

"Identified the fuselage!" The CIC interjected. "They are…" He faltered in his voice; for he had to blink his eyes to make sure what was appearing on his screen was real. "X number! Duel, Buster, Blitz!"

Natarle's brows snapped together at that. "What?"

Shock flooded them that moment.

"Putting the stolen Gs in the frontline!" Murrue uttered unbelievably, closing her hands into fists, surmising it would be a tough battle ahead.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak smirked in anticipation when Archangel came into view from Duel's search engine. "Athrun has launched from Vesalius. Don't fall behind!"

He heard Dearka snort. "Like I would allow that!"

Unanimously, they spread themselves out.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun narrowed his eyes when his screen locked onto a target upfront.

It was GAT-X105 Strike.

"Kira." _'You came after all.'_

Kira inwardly prayed, as he glanced around nervously, that the coast around him was clear. His hopes were dashed when Strike's search engine locked on to one mobile suit upfront. When the data was displayed, Kira was shocked. "That mobile suit... Athrun?"

He drew his sword after that; well aware of the side his childhood friend had taken. They clashed, and to his dismay, Athrun's voice blared over his radio. "Kira! Stop it! Take back your sword! We are not enemies, right? Why do we have to fight? You are a Coordinator! Why are you fighting us?"

He gritted his teeth in frustration as Athrun's words sank into his mind.

**+Destiny Child+**

The moment he spotted Strike, Yzak could feel his blood of excitement boiling within him. _He_ would be the one to bring it down, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to prove to Rau that he was just as capable as Athrun, who seemed to be Rau's MVP though no matter how he deemed it, _he_ should be the one. "Dearka and Nicol aim for the ship; I'll help Athrun with the mobile suit."

"Understood." Nicol replied, and headed off with Dearka ahead for Archangel.

He couldn't help but sneer when he saw Dearka's shots being retaliated by the ship, and he couldn't help pass a taunting remark. "Stop whining about it, Dearka. We are shooting down the big one."

Of course, he knew his best pal felt insulted by his comment, but he felt good about it.

**+Destiny Child+**

Kira's heart raced when he spotted the dangers approaching Archangel. He tried to intervene, but was stopped by Athrun.

As they fought, Athrun growled over his radio, "Stop it, Kira! Why are you on the Earth Alliance's side? Why are you fighting with the Naturals?"

Somehow, the questions pissed Kira off. "I'm not with the Earth Alliance! But I have friends on that ship! Why are you with ZAFT then? Why are you involved in the war? You said you hated the war too!"

Consumed by stupefaction of Kira's retort, Athrun halted his moves. Yes, he remembered saying he hated the war and he still did. In fact, the hatred grew stronger, for it had taken his MOTHER away from him!

"Why did you destroy Helipolis?" Kira questioned accusingly.

Athrun clenched his jaws in irritation at his friend's ignorance of the Naturals' atrocity. "Because those Naturals keep making those things…"

"Helipolis was neutral!" Kira retorted. "So was I! And-"

They were interrupted when Duel caught up from behind, aiming its shots at Strike.

"What are you doing just standing there, Athrun?" Yzak's voice blared over Aegis's radio.

"Yzak?" Athrun was caught off-guard by Yzak's interference. He thought he could persuade Kira while the three of them were out of the way, bringing down Archangel as ordered.

As for Kira, he thought he was damned. "X-102… this too?"

**+Destiny Child+**

"That's despicable!" Alix cried out in horror, angry tears welling up in her eyes. The mobile suits were supposed to fight _with_ each other, not _against_ each other!

"Enemy ship approaching. Distance, 740." The CIC interjected. "Message from Gamof. It says only one mobile suit was confirmed by that ship."

"Strike…" Alix uttered distressfully. To her frustration, Rau and the others switched on the ignore mode again.

"So, that mobile armor can't launch right now." Rau commented, tipping his chin in thought.

Fredrik snorted and turned back in his chair. "Wouldn't it be better this way?"

Alix glanced back and forth between Rau and Fredrik, she never felt this helpless before. Though she was spared of the physical mistreatment, the mental agony she was subjected to now certainly had a tenfold effect. Just how could things turn out this way?

With only Strike, things certainly looked grim for Archangel. If only she could do something!

"If you spare Archangel, I'll do anything you want!" She knew she sounded downright lame, but getting Archangel out of their clutches was the foremost priority in her mind.

Rau sighed, giving her the attention no more than an ant. "Ah… there are the boys…"

Alix whirled around, searching for Athrun spontaneously, at the same time the CIC announced, "Enemy battleship approaching, Distance 430! It will soon be in our ship's weapon range!"

"We start attacking as well."

The unhesitant order made Alix's heart skipped a beat and she was glad when Captain Fredrik shared part of her concern.

"Our mobile suits are in battle. Firing the main cannon will-"

"They are not fools who will be shot down by friendly fire." Rau countered. "That ship will probably start shooting us."

Fredrik sighed, but nonetheless did as told. "Main batteries, ready to fire. The target is the enemy battleship!"

Alix pressed her lips into a thin line as the CRC carried out the command. "Prepare to fire the main batteries. Target, the enemy battleship!"

Knowing there was nothing she could do now; Alix floated towards the screen and plastered her hands on it, inwardly praying that both Archangel and Athrun would somehow turn out all right.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak thought Strike was no match for him, given his poor shots and all. In fact, he found it getting on his nerves as he kept dodging like a fly.

"Fighting like that!" He spat, and drew his sword with the intention to finish it at one blow. When Strike blocked it, he roared in frustration, wondering what the hell Athrun was doing.

**+Destiny Child+**

Something was definitely… not right. As much as she worried for Archangel, it was the mobile suits that grabbed her attention.

Aegis in particular.

'_Zala-kun is not attacking. Why isn't he attacking?'_

While Buster and Blitz were making their aggressive moves against Archangel, Alix had expected Duel and Aegis to join their forces against Strike.

But apparently, they did not.

Instead, Duel was fighting against Strike, with Aegis simply… watching.

It was as if he couldn't bring himself to join the battle against Strike. Alix was not sure how Athrun had communicated that idea to her, but his behavior at the battlefield before her was certainly arousing suspicions. She gasped in realization when Athrun's words unwittingly struck her.

"_He's with the Earth Alliance!"_

"_I've known him since I was four or five."_

'_Kira Yamato-kun…! Could it be him in Strike?'_ Her eyes searched for Strike knowingly, and she found him dodging and firing frantically at Duel, then at Buster, who just chipped into the fight. She watched closely, and came to realize that the battle skills of Strike's pilot were untypical of a usual soldier and more like that of a tenderfoot.

She tried to recall the last time she saw him. It was at the Academy's gardens. No, it was in Aegis's cockpit, where she saw him being pushed into what seemed to be also a cockpit. Come to think of it, the cockpit most likely was Strike's, because she remembered vividly that Aegis was moved out of Factory S together with Strike, and the uniform of his pusher seemed to belong to that of an EAF personnel…

But, how did he end up _piloting_ Strike?

No, it was not Kira Yamato, Alix decided. The mobile suits, including Strike, were highly advanced units that required professionals with exceptional abilities to control them. From the battles, Alix had already inwardly admitted that Athrun and his team belonged to that category but Kira Yamato-kun…?

She remembered him being a mild-mannered boy who looked nothing like a soldier.

He was a student.

He said that to her.

However, the more she watched Strike, the more she doubted her own conclusion…

At that, Alix shifted her gaze to Aegis, who was still halting his moves. _'If it was really Yamato-kun in Strike, what are you going to do, Zala-kun? What are you going to do?'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"Main laser cannons charging from the Nazca class upfront!" The CIC of Archangel reported as he swallowed. "It's locked onto us!"

Natarle looked up at Murrue with apprehension. "Captain!"

When Murrue did not respond, Natarle thought it was up to her to protect the ship. "Lohengrin, ready to fire!"

At that, Murrue whirled around in her chair and protested, "Wait! Lieutenant's Zero is still approaching them! Ignore it!"

"It's dangerous!" Natarle argued. "We'll get shot if we don't shoot!"

Murrue slammed her fist on the arm of her chair in sheer vexation. Natarle was right, but she could not ignore Mwu's safety either. She squeezed her brows as the CIC further reported, "Laurasia class approaching from behind in a very fast speed!"

'_Lieutenant Flaga, just where are you?'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Just when Alix's heart raced with the thought that Archangel was going to be hit by Vesalius's cannons, Rau suddenly called out an order to move their ship. "Maximum output, lower the front! Launch angle, 60!"

She whirled around in question as Fredrik hurriedly replied with a questioning look of his own. "Yes, Sir!"

"Approaching thermal energy detected at the bottom!" The CIC reported right after that, surprising everyone, including Alix. "It's the mobile armor!"

"Raise the shield, maximum output!" Fredrik hastily repeated Rau's orders. "Lower the front, launch angle, 60!"

As the ship shifted its position, Alix floated back to her chair and clasped for balance, wondering about the unexpected twist in the situation. She yelped in shock and instinctively tightened her hold on her chair when Vesalius experienced an abrupt violent quake.

"Engine damaged!" The CIC reported frantically. "Engine output decreasing!"

At the back of her mind, Alix knew they were being retaliated against, and she could not make up her mind whether she should be elated or apprehensive by it, because reckoning from the CIC's information, they would not be able survive another hit.

"Enemy mobile armor, breaking away!" The CIC further reported, and that made Alix somewhat glad.

But Fredrik was outraged. "Shoot it down!"

"Dagosodium outer wall damaged!" The CIC continued to report. "Gaps produced! Damage control, closing the outer wall!"

The vehemence in Rau left Alix with the impression that he was pissed by the fact that he overlooked the mobile armor. "We are leaving! Ades, convey the message to Gamof!"

Alix remained silent, instinctively assessing their situation as Vesalius's crew hurried to carry out the orders. From the attack, it was obvious that Archangel sent the mobile armor secretly out while diverting all their attention on Strike. The mobile armor left after only one blow, which probably suggested it does not have enough power to cause total wreckage to Vesalius. At this moment, Archangel's Lohengrin feature flashed across her mind, which was the only thing she could think of that could totally get rid of Vesalius.

That would only mean…the mobile armor was merely a decoy!

"We can't leave following the same course we're on now!" Alix couldn't help but exclaimed, causing all eyes on her. "We have to change the course of the ship! Archangel will fire on us with Lohengrin!"

Right after Alix said that, the CIC exclaimed, "Thermal energy is approaching! Direction, 0, 0, 0! 3 seconds before the impact!"

Fredrik looked wide-eyed at Alix after he heard that, and Rau's veins twitched at the validity of Alix's prediction as he snarled out the order, "Maximum output for the right thruster! Dodge it!"

'_Too late... '_ Alix thought pessimistically, and cringed to brace herself for the inevitable impact. When they were hit, she was sent flying out of her chair, but fortunately, Fredrik held on to her.

Thankful, she gave him a nod of gratitude.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Nazca class, moved away from the path of our ship!" The CIC of Archangel reported.

Murrue felt it was a pity that the Nazca class was not destroyed, but at the same time felt glad that an opportunity had arose for them to make their escape. "Message Strike to return! Archangel, to Artemis with maximum output!"

**+Destiny Child+**

When Kira saw the return signals from both sides, the notion that Lieutenant Flaga succeeded gave him a boost of confidence in their situation. But when he saw Duel came charging at him, he thought all was not end yet.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Yzak!" Athrun cried out. He couldn't believe this comrade of his was this persistent. "They ordered us to retreat!"

"Shut up, asshole!" Yzak snapped in return.

Athrun scowled at the retort.

**+Destiny Child+**

After the initial shock petered out, Alix was relieved that Archangel had gotten out of Rau's hands. Her next concern was the mobile suits, in which she thought it was strange that she hadn't heard from the CIC of their return. She politely broke away from Fredrik and cast a furtive glance at Rau, who seemed to be fuming with his pursed lips and all. Knowing better than to try to talk to him now, Alix floated quietly towards the screen, where she could still see the mobile suits skirmishing on the battlefield.

'_Hadn't they been ordered to return?'_

She stiffened in reaction when she heard Rau snorted behind her. "Let them be. We might see another unexpected twist in this situation."

Alix knew he was not talking to her, but somehow, she thought he was watching her from behind, which made her ill at ease. The fact that there was a hint of disdain in his voice did not help matters. She tried to brush it off by focusing on the mobile suits instead.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Damn!" Kira spat, thinking Duel's actions were too fast for him. "Like that…" _'I'm going to be hit!'_

He dodged Duel's attacks time and again, but Duel seemed to become more aggressive after each strike. Furthermore, the fact that he got backup only made his situation worse. Blitz and Buster have joined in the battle and they were pinning him on three sides. If Aegis joined in now, he thought death was surely his end.

**+Destiny Child+**

At Archangel, everyone was worried for Kira.

"Kira!" Miriallia uttered anxiously over the CRC screen.

On the other side, Jackie was equally anxious. "Surrounded like this! In no time, he'll be…"

"Cover him!" Murrue ordered.

"We can't in a situation like this!" Natarle argued.

"Distance from Strike, increasing!" The CIC reported.

'_At this rate, Kira won't be able to keep up with us.'_ Tolle thought distressfully. "Kira…"

"I'm worried about the amount of power left in Strike." Natarle informed, glancing her screen. Strike's fuel was falling low.

"I understand." Murrue answered, having the same concern. "What about Lieutenant Flaga?"

**+Destiny Child+**

Mwu groaned in frustration when his screen informed him the status of Strike. "He can't return? Damn… that idiot..."

Without hesitation, he maneuvered his Zero towards the battlefield.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix's frightful eyes followed Strike as he barely dodged and blocked the attacks against him over and over again. She spared a glance at Aegis, who was _still_ watching.

She frowned. _'Zala-kun…'_

Strike grabbed back her attention when he was nearly slaughtered by Duel slashing in from the sides. _'At this rate, Strike…! '_ Alix's thoughts froze when she saw the color change in Strike's armor. Its color had faded to grey. _'Phase Shift Armor down?!'_ Alarmed, she banged her palms on the screen. _'Strike's power was out…?'_

"No!" She cried out in denial as Duel took the chance to charge full force at Strike with his menacing sword. Unable to witness the death of her favorite Gundam, Alix jerked her head away and squeezed her eyes shut as she last saw Duel raised his sword at the vulnerable Strike. Before she was engulfed in darkness, she thought her ears were playing tricks on her.

"Strike is captured by Aegis!"


	16. Conflicting Pains

**Chapter 16: Conflicting Pains**

Athrun grimaced at the pain his back suffered when Yzak rammed him against the lockers.

"You asshole!" Yzak snarled, yanking him by the collar. "What are you going to report? If only you didn't do such a thing!"

Dearka agreed with Yzak and shot Athrun a disapproving look. "What a disgraceful behavior... all because you didn't follow the order."

Athrun looked away. He didn't want this either. Strike's power was down and he thought he had him, it was out of everyone's expectations that the mobile armor would come to his rescue.

Nicol arrived at the lockers then, and was shocked at the internal conflict before him. "What are you doing? Please stop it, considering where we are!"

Yzak ignored the protest of Nicol and shot a glare at him instead. "It was four versus one! But we couldn't destroy it! What kind of humiliation is this?"

"But what can you accomplish by blaming it on Athrun?" Nicol argued.

Yzak hissed. Nicol was right, but he couldn't kill the ire raging within him either. With a snort of frustration, he pushed Athrun away, storming out of the locker area with Dearka trailing behind him.

When they were alone, Nicol couldn't help but voice his point of view of their battle just now. "Athrun…I don't think it was your kind of behavior back there too, but-"

"Just leave me alone right now, Nicol." Athrun interjected; gaze downcast as he retreated out of the locker room.

Only when he was alone at the corridor did Athrun vent his frustration of the earlier battle on the wall. "Kira…"

'_Why are you the pilot of Strike…?'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Rau glanced at the letter nonchalantly and passed it to Fredrik. He smirked, thinking things would look a whole lot nicer in his report if they had gotten Strike and Archangel now. But then again, he thought it would be boring if the toys of Earth Alliance were so easy to trample on.

The Captain dared a peek of the contents and gasped, "An order to appear in front of the Committee?" before taking over the letter. "But after all we did…?"

"The destruction of Helipolis must mean something to the Committee." Rau reckoned, already thinking of the next step. "Well, it's not within our control now. Let Gamof follow that ship."

"Yes, Sir." Fredrik replied.

"Call Athrun." Rau ordered. "Vesalius will return to the country as soon as the repairs are done."

"Yes, Sir." The CIC replied and proceeded to page for Athrun in Gamof.

"Commander." The medic officer interrupted, coming up behind them.

"How was she?" Rau asked in his usual drawl.

"Should be alright." The medic officer answered.

"But she fainted." Fredrik argued.

"She's still weak, but rest will do the trick." The medic officer answered.

Fredrik then turned to Rau. "What are we going to do about her?"

Rau rubbed his chin in thought.

**+Destiny Child+**

The bell rang, school was over. Unlike his boisterous classmates who were always excited at this time of the day, Shinn packed his bag quietly and started for the door.

"Shinn!"

He turned his head at the voice, his face showing nothing but stolid indifference.

Jay hesitated for a second when he saw the look on Shinn. In fact, he was worried. Shinn was like a walking dead these past few days. He had meant to ask "what's wrong?" but decided to pop that question only when he caught him alone. "Are you coming for the hockey practice?"

If Shinn had forgotten about their weekly training, he did not show it. "I'll be there."

Without so much of a farewell, Shinn dismissed his best buddy by simply walking away.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Damn it, Kisaka! Let me out!"

Kisaka winced at the insistent pounding on the door. For as long as he remembered, the pounding has been ringing in his ears ever since Cagalli was hurled into her own bedroom. "It's useless, Cagalli. I suggest you be quiet in your room until Uzumi-sama decides to let you out."

"DAMN YOU!"

Kisaka shuddered at the vehemence of the outburst. He shook his head and even shrugged helplessly at the servants passing by who gave him looks of sympathy. Then, he realized the pounding had stopped.

Worried yet suspicious, Kisaka leaned close to the door.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Now, home news. The fourth princess, Alix Whitley…"

Glancing around her wrecked room, Cagalli fumbled for the remote control of her television and turned the volume higher. It had been a while, yet no one had updated her regarding her missing cousin.

"…was diagnosed with a critical rare disease. The spokesperson for the Royal Family declined to reveal more but…"

Cagalli scowled, "Huh?" totally baffled by the report.

Then, realization struck.

Her knees went weak as she slumped down from the edge of her bed. "Impossible…"

**+Destiny Child+**

Hands shoved into the pockets of her white parka, Samantha snorted and rolled her eyes at the news screen in the Lab. Critical rare disease huh? Trust the Royal Family to come up with something as ridiculous as that.

A crash grabbed her attention, and she narrowed her jaded eyes at the door at the end of the hallway, presumably where the crash came from. Without a doubt, _he_ must have heard the news too. Without much of a second thought, she headed towards the door, her two bodyguards flanking at her sides.

One of them tried to stop her, sensing it was unsafe to go anywhere near _that_ door. "Samantha-sa-"

"Shut up." Samantha retorted without halting her tracks.

As they neared the ominous door, panicky voices could be heard from the other side. Another crash followed when they reached the door. A metal pole almost got her when the door slid open. Her bodyguards heaved a sigh of relief upon dodging that danger away from her.

Undaunted, she sidestepped them to look at _him_.

"Calm down, Roy! Just CALM down!" the lab assistants coaxed intensely, pinning him down on the bed. He continued to resist until he saw Samantha.

"Samantha!" Roy cried out.

Samantha could sense the desperation in him, and was glad that he could recognize her. She fought back tears as she stood rooted at where she was in silence just staring at him.

"Samantha!" Roy roared again, and tried to break free of the hold on his limbs but to no avail. The lab assistants pinned him down harder now that the Samantha-sama was here. "Where is Alix? Bring her to me! I want to see her! I want to see her!"

"I haven't seen her for days…" came the cold and somewhat choked reply.

Roy, grasping the deathly meaning between the lines, slumped back onto his bed as he darted his eyes around him, feeling his vision getting blurred from something producing in his eyes. He had refused to accept what he heard from the news speaker a while ago but if _that_ came from Samantha…

He started to recall the last time he saw Alix. She was setting off for Helipolis and had come here to visit him before she left for her shuttle. They chatted for a while and he had wanted to go with her. Alix refused him, insisting he should go over only after he had recovered. While she tidied him up cleaning his limbs and all, she made him promise that he would recuperate 'obediently' under the care of the lab assistants. He should have taken his stand then, but the pair of intriguing green eyes looking earnestly at him then just could not be resisted.

If only his illness had not worked up at that point of time!

He would have protected her!

He knew Alix was not down with some critical unexplainable disease as reported by the news. Alix had left for Heliopolis, and Heliopolis was destroyed.

Destroyed…

He did not give a damn about the colony.

It was Alix that he cared for.

No one dared to mention Alix or Heliopolis to him when news of Heliopolis' destruction was all over the place. He stumbled upon the tragedy only when he took a stroll down the hallway and caught the news on the news screen. Afterward, he demanded that he would listen to the news twenty-four-seven.

The lab assistants looked at each other, unsure of the next step they should take. Roy just ceased his violence all of a sudden and lying on the bed as if he was pinned down by his own mentality. They slowly released their hold on him as they heard Samantha approaching behind them.

"Leave us."

All eyes flew to her, as if she lost her mind. "But Saman-"

"Leave. Us." Samantha repeated her voice firmer.

Nonetheless, the lab assistants and bodyguards were still worried as they retreated out of the room. Roy has been unstable these days and no one dared to be left alone with him. "We'll be standing by outside."

With her back facing them and her head slightly tilted to her side, Samantha replied, "When I said leave, I meant go away."

They looked at each other in question, then at Roy, then at Samantha. In the end, they guessed they just have to trust their Samantha-sama on this. "We got it."

When they were finally left alone, Samantha glanced around the ward. It was in a total mess. The lights were broken; most of them were blinking for attention now, the apparatuses were overturned, and shattered glasses were everywhere. Samantha was surprised that none of it got Roy. But upon a closer look, Samantha corrected herself.

She sighed and searched for the first-aid box amidst the mess. As the shattered glasses cracked under her boots, she found the box under the bed. Roy remained motionless on the bed, his expressionless eyes fixed at the ceiling. He didn't flinch when Samantha removed the broken glass stuck in his right arm, nor did he whimper when Samantha wiped the antiseptic salve on his wounded arm. The ward had become quiet, with their breathing the only audible sounds.

"You're in trouble, Roy." Samantha started to say as she dressed Roy's injuries nonchalantly. "Alix is a cleanliness freak. She will be very upset with you when she returns." She swallowed, trying to suppress the shakiness in her voice as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

She dabbed them angrily away with her palms, feeling her control starting to slip. She knew she could not put on that façade before Roy. She had come to him for solace, because she knew he was the one other person who truly cared for Alix, who loved her for just the way she was.

Roy continued to ignore her, and for the first time, she does not mind at all. Unlike the others, she was not afraid of him either. She knew no matter what, he would not hurt her.

Alix said so.

The two of them met him just before they returned to ORB. Alix had just passed all the necessary tests and their Mother had decided it was high time for Alix to have a personal bodyguard. Gladys granted her suggestion of "If someone was to be by your side 24/7, then that someone must be somebody you like." and brought them to some training grounds they never knew existed. In her opinion, it was a place she would definitely _not _step into again. They screened a couple of potentials but none caught her eyes.

Yes, _her_ eyes. Not Alix's. That thought managed to curl up her lips a little, for she only realized her then highhandedness now.

Roy's gaze shifted to her that moment, and Samantha thought he looked just as haggard as she was.

"I miss her." She blurted, brushing the wetted cotton wool across the cut just above his left brow. "Do you miss her, Roy?"

"I guess you do." She answered herself when Roy did not respond. "Do you know why she picked you?"

"I do." She answered herself again when Roy remained silent. "You are the reason why she set up the SA Foundation."

She forced out a chuckle, remembering Alix liking him on first sight.

"_I want him."_

The avowal came so out of the blue that she did not catch it the first time. After rounds of selection, both of them had wandered into the tower of the building where the panorama view captivated them. Because both of them were so fascinated by what was happening on ground level, they actually plastered their bodies on the glass panel. She was watching a silver-haired boy knocking over a couple of his counterparts when she heard Alix._ "Huh?" _

"_I want him." _Alix repeated, pressing her index finger on the glass while her eyes remained glued on him.

"_Who?" _She had to get behind her to see from her point of view. Throwing her arms over Alix's shoulders, she frowned when she saw Roy._ "That blonde one?"_

Alix nodded.

"_Nah."_

Alix turned to frown at her._ "Why?"_

"_He looks our age; I don't think he's up to the job. Besides, I heard from Mira that these kids here are different from us. And that one… " _She glanced down at Roy, who just punctured a tire with his bloodied switchblade._ "is especially scary."_

Alix laughed then, a melody she now missed so much.

"_The only difference between us and them, Sam, are the circumstances we're in."_

Of course, she was rendered speechless. Although at the back of her mind already registered Alix to be too wise for their age, her quotes always never failed to astound her.

"_We were lucky." _Alix added, turning her attention to the kids below with her hands clasped behind her back. _"But they were not. We shouldn't despise them because of that."_

"_I don't despise them. It's jus-"_

"_He won't hurt us." _Alix assured, sensing her insecurity.

"_How do you know?" _She retorted then.

Alix smiled._ "Because the eyes don't lie."_

She clasped Roy's hand when she felt his thumb brushing across her wet cheeks. Obliviously, she had let her tears gotten the better of her. She looked into his green eyes. That was when she finally let her emotions go. She wept bitterly. It did not matter to her now if anyone heard her, she was feeling miserable. Her whole world had collapsed, for she just COULD NOT accept _the_ fact.

Without a word, Roy nudged her down into his embrace, his eyes frozen with brimming tears.

**+Destiny Child+**

"The guided beacon has arrived at the fourth dock. Set the approaching coordinates. Beacon possession confirmed. Change course to 0.3 Mark 16.20. Turn 180 degrees. Commerce deceleration."

As Vesalius proceeded as stated by the CIC, Fredrik turned to Rau beside him, "So you want to take Athrun Zala to the Judicial Meeting as well?"

"Yes, since he was there as well. With him, it's easier to go through the harsh and objective interrogation." Rau answered as a matter of fact.

"It seems that ORB is strongly objecting to that idea." Fredrik said, changing the subject.

"The real problem is what is more important to us, Ades." Rau argued.

Fredrik nodded, though halfheartedly. ORB was not a country to be trifled with after all. "Yes…"

"Hurry up with the repairs for Vesalius." Rau said. "Even if it's a short break, I don't have that much time to waste. Isn't that right…?" _'Alix Zala?'_

**+Destiny Child+**

The ward was different.

Alix noticed that the moment she gained consciousness. She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to her temple, inwardly whining at the persistent throbbing still haunting her head. Memories of the mobile suits' battle flooded back into her mind and she bolted up from the bed she was on that instant, startling the medic officer whose back was facing her. Alix regretted her impulsive action a split second later, for the effect blurred her vision and caused her head to spin. Worse, she felt like she was stabbed in the head.

"Are you alright?" She heard, and felt a touch on her arm. Without looking up, she nodded her head absentmindedly.

She had not had the chance to ask about anything, as the medic officer left hurriedly after being paged.

Left alone, Alix propped up her pillow and leaned back on it, wondering about Strike.

**+Destiny Child+**

His helmet nearly hit a passing medic officer, but Yzak Joule couldn't care. All he cared about was that the damned Strike slipped through their hands _again_! He could not believe he had let a mediocre pilot get this far! They were _so_ close in getting him! In fact, they could have gotten them all in one loop. Just what the HELL went wrong?

"Damn it!" He growled, and slammed his fists on the wall he was floating by. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Hmm?" Alix thought she heard some bellowing outside. It aroused her curiosity as it came with thuds on the wall. Carefully, she slid off the bed.

**+Destiny Child+**

A startled yelp regained his senses. Yzak was so into his anger that he failed to realize that the door he was going to pound on slid open. He only had time to gasp in absolute shock at the realization of what he had punched – G.I.R.L.

He had punched a GIRL! And from the looks of it, he hit her hard. She flew away, knocking over some medical utensils before landing ungracefully on the floor.

"Yzak!"

When he turned to look at Dearka, his pal had this shocked and somewhat disgusted look on him. Nicol reacted pretty much the same beside him. "Oh God…"

It was obvious the two had witnessed the unintentional condemned act. Both of them rushed forward at the same time, with Nicol barging into the ward while Dearka watched from the doorstep with him.

Their VIP lay unmoving on the floor, face turned away from them. One of her hand was holding on her bruised side of her face while the other was clasping her robe. Nicol thought she was breathing rather heavily until he got close enough to realize it was strangled sobs.

He touched her gently on the arm to get her attention. "Are you alright?"

He got worried when she did not respond.

…

The clout goddamn HURTS! The tears had fallen involuntarily and Alix had to blink her eyes several times to recover herself. By the intensity of the pain, she was surprised it did not knock her out. She was not sure what happened either. One moment she was seeing this intimidating monster and she was sent flying off the next. Was she conscious? Anyhow, it managed to drive away the throbbing in her head, which was for damn sure.

"Are you alright? Are you able to speak?" She heard then.

Nicol's heart went out to her when she finally turned to look at him. Yzak's blow had left one side of her lips split and swollen with blood, and her face blotched with purple bruises. Her cheeks were wet from her tears and her eyes were brimming with fresh ones. She seemed too shocked or in pain for words. Her arm caught his attention when he saw blood on his hands. Glancing around, Nicol surmised her arm must have suffered cuts when she bumped into the utensils after being clouted.

Suddenly, he felt furious and unjustly treated on her behalf. Just how could anyone do this to an innocent like her? Moreover, they were soldiers, not beasts. What Yzak did tainted their uniforms, much less the morals of a man. Yzak was scowling at her when he spun around to glare at him. "You should apologize to her."

Yzak widened his eyes in disbelief, and for a moment, he was at loss for words. He winced when he got a good look of his doing, and actually felt sorry right away. But there was something in him that just couldn't get the _word_ out.

Dearka raised an eyebrow at her and sighed, "Yeah, you should. There's no reason for us guys to vent our anger on girls no matter how pissed we are."

Yzak glared at him for not taking his side. Of all people, he should know what he had done was unintentional! And 'unintentional' equaled 'not in the wrong' in his dictionary.

"Ridiculous!" He spat. It was not entirely his fault anyway. "Why should I apologize to a Natural?"

Nicol and Dearka just stared at him for that, making him feeling cornered by their intense stares. He glanced at her, and he felt an unknown grievance building up within him. She was staring up at him and her look were the likes of contempt, as if it was his ENTIRE fault! He did not demand her to open the door, did he? He wanted to snap at her then, but he held back when he saw the damage he had done to her. It was awful by any estimation. He decided to vent his awkwardness on Nicol instead, since he was in convenient distance.

He gave him an once-over, then a push on the shoulders. "What's your problem, wimp? Trying to be a knight in shining amour for trash like them?"

At the corners of his eyes, he saw his words stung her, for her stare became a glare. Oddly enough, he felt glad because that meant he did not knock her senseless. He was worried about that a while ago, since she had not spoken a word.

"Knock it off, Yzak!" Dearka interjected, grabbing him by the arm with a frown. "We've had it bad enough."

Having said that, the three of them were reminded of the failure of their sortie in Artemis. The more Yzak thought of it, the more incensed he was. It did not help matters that their creator was right in front of them.

He pushed Nicol away and glared down at her. Nicol thought he was going to strike her again and rushed to grab him by the shoulders. Yzak shoved him away in retaliation. Dearka thought he should stop them when he was stopped short of the hard whack across Yzak's face.

Everyone froze, except her.

Alix had had enough. God, she had not felt this incensed before! She had never seen someone as unreasonable as him! She had not known what took over her, but her limbs had just acted on their own. She had pulled herself to feet and punched him back. She knew her strike was not as strong as his was, but the effect certainly was as strong.

The Coordinator barbarian was completely flabbergasted and his lip was now split too. Unbeknownst to them, she had some fundamental self-defense lessons from Roy and he had taught her just where to strike to get her off the hook.

Yzak could feel blood tickling from the corners of his lips. Feeling somewhere between pain, shock, and annoyance, he slowly turned his face to glare down at the unbelievable twirp before him. He was still a good head taller than she was even though she was standing on her feet now.

That aside, it was the first time that a _girl_ dared to challenge him.

He furrowed his brows when he saw that she did not cower as most girls usually did when they saw the look on his face now. In fact, she met his glare. She shifted her glare to his lips for a while, must have realized the blood on her lips upon seeing his, and wiped away the blood on her lips with the back of her hands. Instead of wiping away his with his hands, he licked it away with his tongue, his piercing eyes fixed on her.

He gave her a rude once-over, noticing for the first time how… he could not find the word. Nonetheless, he would not stomach the fact that people could walk over him, not even a girl.

There was a reason why he was still single.

He backed her up until he had her cornered. He saw a flicker of fear across those intriguing green eyes of hers, but she managed to brush it away as quickly as it came. For that, she gained a small amount of respect from him, for thus far, the only female that could hold his glare for this long was his mother. He grabbed her robe by the chest and yanked her up. Nicol tried to intervene again, but Yzak slammed his fist on the wall beside her face, effectively stopping any form of interruption.

Yzak had meant to scare Alix, thus, he was somehow disturbed when she glared him harder.

It took him no longer than three seconds to know that his bluster not only failed, it did just the reverse.

It made her angrier.

Her hand crashed against the side of his face the second time, and this time, she finally spoke, "Get out."

"You-!" Yzak started to snap, feeling utterly murderous at the Natural brat before him.

"Forget it, Yzak! Let's go!" Dearka coaxed, holding him back by grabbing him from his back. "Nicol, I need some help here!"

Together, they managed to tow the protesting Yzak out of the infirmary.

"Sorry." Nicol offered to say when he was at the doorstep, and rushed off when Dearka shouted for him.

When all of them were out of the infirmary, Alix scrambled to get the door locked. She slumped down on the floor after that, breathing a sigh of relief as she hugged her knees.

Her valor against the Coordinator barbarian was bluster and she knew it. She had slapped him to rid herself of the fear caused by his piercing stare, so she had not cared about the consequences beforehand. Now that she thought back of it, she thought it was possible he could eat her alive just with those murderous eyes of his.

She sighed and looked around, dabbing away the tears that brimmed around the corners of her eyes.

Just when could she get out of this hell?

**+Destiny Child+**

"What's on your mind, Athrun?"

Athrun did not realize he looked preoccupied until he heard Rau beside him. Without hesitation, he voiced out his concern. "Is it really alright to leave Ms. Whitley on Gamof?"

When they received orders from the Supreme Council to return to PLANT after the previous battle, Athrun had expected Rau to bring Alix along with them. So he couldn't help but feel unsettled when his Commander ordered Alix to be transferred to Gamof instead.

She was in a weak state after all.

"You doubt my decision?" Rau countered.

"No, Sir." Athrun hastily replied.

"Well, it's normal that you would." Rau said. "But I have something I've yet to confirm with her."

'_She's an important chess piece after all.'_ Rau added inwardly.

'_Like what?'_ Athrun asked inwardly, but knew better to ask. Their conversation ended then and there when they saw his father in the ship transporting them directly to the Supreme Council.

He was surprised; of course he was surprised. He had not expected to see his father given his hectic schedule as the President of the National Defense Committee. Come to think of it, he had forgotten the last time he actually came face to face with this man he had come to respect so much.

"We will accompany you, National Defense President Zala."

Athrun kept his thoughts in check the moment he heard Rau addressing his father, and immediately offered his salute to him like Rau.

Patrick simply waved a dismissive hand. "Forget the formality. My being on this ship is classified." He then glanced at Athrun, and thought he had grown taller since the last time he saw him. "Understand, Athrun?"

"I understand." Athrun replied. "Father, it's been a while."

Patrick merely nodded in acknowledgement and gestured them to take their seats. As their ship moved towards their destination, Athrun remained politely silent as the adults talked about the current war situation. They captured his attention fully when they started to talk about the Alliance's Gundams.

"I completely agree with the arguments in your reports." Patrick said. "The problem is that those bastards were able to produce mobile suits with such high levels of functionality. That pilot won't matter."

Athrun turned to look at his Father with unease when he heard that.

Kira was one of them after all.

"I'll block out that part." Patrick continued to say.

"Thank you, Sir." Rau answered. "I knew you would see things my way."

'_Commander too…'_ Athrun thought dejectedly.

"If it was known that the pilot left behind was a Coordinator, it would only make the officials waste time debating what to do." Patrick continued to say.

He tensed when Rau turned back to look at him. "I think it would be pretty painful reporting that your friend defected to the Earth's side."

He hastily tried to come up with something to say when his Father interjected, "The Naturals developed high performance mobile suits and used their own pilots to control it. That's all there is to it. Is that understood, Athrun?"

Although deep inside, he felt it was not right, his father was still his father. "Yes…"

"We also need to be more absolute if we want to end the war quickly." Patrick concluded in the end.

Rau glanced at Patrick from the corners of his eyes and couldn't help but smirk imperceptibly as he thought of Alix. _'You should have seen your daughter, Patrick Zala. She has grown up to be a fine woman like your late wife. Your reaction would be interesting to see when you know that the bastard who produces those mobile suits is actually your daughter and she too, has defected to the Earth's side. Will that send you directly to your grave, Patrick Zala? I wonder…'_

How ironic… Rau concluded in the end, that the one who developed the mobile suits against the Coordinators and the one who piloted it against them were actually _two_ of their own kind.


	17. Differences

**Chapter 17: Differences**

The sight was unbearable.

He had expected to see something unpleasant but this…? _This_ was far more than unpleasant.

'_My mother was killed in the Bloody Valentine…'_

Glancing around at the devastation, Kira could empathize with Athrun's feelings. He would probably hate the ones who did this to his loved ones. But as he thought deeper, he concluded he would end up suffering the most if he let the hatred grow within him, which was what Athrun was doing now.

His childhood friend had let his hatred get the better of him.

Him aside, Kira decided to focus on his mission – defense.

After the narrow escape from Artemis, the adults had explained the need to replenish the supplies, since the refill was barely made when the ambush happened. And the only place they could turn to was the fallen Junius Seven. Although he and his friends protested against the idea initially, they have no choice but to agree with Mwu.

'_In order to survive…'_

And Mwu was right.

There was indeed a lot of water frozen within the fallen colony. As the crew proceeded to defreeze the water, Kira roamed in Strike around the debris belt, searching for signs of antagonists. He narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of a ship nearby. "A civilian ship? Is it destroyed?" He gasped in shock and instinctively went into hiding when he saw a Jin appearing alongside the ship. "An enforce-recon type Jin. Why is it here?"

The Jin scanned the area, but failed to detect him. As for Kira, his heart raced with his thoughts. "It's over if Archangel gets detected here." With that thought in mind, he aimed for the Jin, his hands clasping the trigger shakily. "Go away… just go away…"

He breathed a sigh of relief when the Jin indeed went away, but his relief did not last long when the Archangel crew appeared obliviously in front of him, seeable by the Jin. To his dismay, the Jin detected their presence and came back for them.

"Idiot!" Kira cursed, feeling his perspiration of nervousness tickling down from his forehead. "Why did you notice it?" He aimed his gun at the Jin then, when the Jin aimed his at the Archangel crew.

After a clash of shots, the Jin exploded, and Kira froze at what he had done – He had killed again. He slammed his fists on the controls, not taking into any words of thanks by the Archangel crew whom he had just saved. But he regained his senses when Strike's search engine locked onto something unbelievable. "A lifeboat…?"

Without hesitation, he brought it into Archangel.

As all of them stood in anticipation at what was inside the lifeboat, Natarle turned to Kira. "You really have the tendency to being in stuff, don't you?"

Kira smiled halfheartedly, grasping the sarcasm behind Natarle's words.

"I'm opening it." The petty officer said. The military personnel readied their guns as the door to the lifeboat opened.

When a mechanical toy floated out from the door muttering "Halo, Halo, Lacus… Halo, Halo…" everyone felt surprised.

"Thank you for your hard work." Came the pleasant voice belonging to a female next.

Everyone turned to look at her then, and Kira couldn't help but be captivated by the pink-haired girl floating towards him.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Here we go."

The lady medic officer removed the thermometer from Alix's mouth and gave it a flick. When it showed the healthy temperature, she smiled. "You can be discharged after I dress the bruise on your face. In the meantime, keep holding that for another five minutes."

Alix nodded and switched the icepack in her right hand to her left. The lady medic officer was backing out of the infirmary, but Alix didn't want her to leave just yet. She needed some answers to her questions. "Wait."

The lady medic officer halted her tracks. "Yes?"

"Am I on a different ship?"

"Yes." The lady medic officer answered a matter of fact. "You're on Gamof."

"What about the previous ship I was with?"

"Vesalius has returned to PLANT by order."

Alix gave it a thought, and she was caught off-guard when the lady medic officer said, "You're a Coordinator."

For a moment, Alix panicked at the statement. She stiffened and widened her eyes in surprise, and so did Nicol at the doorway. After a hot bath and a fresh set of uniform, he decided to drop a visit to the infirmary to check out how Alix was doing. Of course, he hadn't expected to hear this. Although he knew it was not right to eavesdrop further, he decided to wait at the doorway for a while, since he would make the situation more awkward if he decided to appear now.

"I'm sorry for being blunt." The lady medic officer apologized, glancing at the medical report she was hugging at her chest. "But I couldn't help but wonder whether it was a mistake by the Vesalius' medics when I saw your genetic type in the medical report given by them."

Alix lowered her icepack in her hand to her lap, her head inclined. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't deny the lady medic officer's statement, because she was really a Coordinator through and through. But she couldn't admit either, because her mother had cautioned her that under no circumstances could she reveal her genetic type, given the status her mother held on Earth. Her mother's reputation was at stake here; she couldn't afford to tarnish it.

The lady medic officer bit her lips. It was obvious her words upset her, but she couldn't curb her own curiosity now. She had meant to retreat out of the infirmary to stop herself from asking, to give herself some time to get over this unbelievable fact, but Alix stopped her, and the moment she looked at the innocent face again, the curiosity just gotten the better of her. With a sigh, she settled herself on the bed beside Alix. "I heard that the mobile suits and the ship we're pursing were designed by you. You're impressive lass, even by Coordinator standards, I give you that. But why? Why are you helping the Naturals against us, against your own kind?"

"I…" Alix looked up then, wanted to say something but nothing came out from her. If truth be told, she had no idea she was doing what the lady medic officer had claimed. Was it her fault that her inspirations for her creations got wavered because of their intervention?

"You know… I should hate you." The lady medic officer added with a nod.

They shared a moment of tense silence.

"Sorry." Alix managed in the end, and inclined her head.

The lady medic officer sighed. As much as she liked to hate the violet-haired lass resting on the bed before her, there was something about her that she couldn't bring herself to hate her. Perhaps it was those intriguing innocent green eyes of hers. "Come; let me dress your bruise now."

Nicol shook his head to clear his mind. What he had overheard certainly bowled him over. A Coordinator among the Blue Cosmos, who would believe that? He began to understand Rau's attitude towards her now, since he was as baffled as the others at first as to why their Commander would be nice to a Natural when they were the most aggressive ZAFT squad against the Earth clique.

He kept his thoughts in check and stepped into the infirmary. Pretending nothing ever happened, he chipped in "What secret?" upon overhearing Alix requesting the lady medic officer to keep her background a secret. He tried to look as casual as possible as he smiled at them.

Both the lady medic officer and Alix were surprised to see him, though both reacted just as quick. Alix merely shook her head with a forced smile while the lady medic officer replied with a smile of her own, "As you heard, it is a secret." She glanced at Alix after that, patting her on the shoulders to give her the assurance.

Then she changed the subject. "What brings you here, Prince of Melody?"

Alix's eyes flew to him at that moment, not grasping the meaning behind the medic's words. The lady medic officer explained as she applied salve on Alix's face, "He's very good with the piano. He's a musician."

Nicol could feel his face redden with embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Ah, don't call me that, Michelle. I'm here to see how Ms. Whitley was doing, since I think Yzak hit her pretty hard."

Michelle had her smile intact as she replied, "That was kind of you. Speaking of which, as his comrade, I think you should advise Mr. Joule to keep his temper in check. I nearly got hit by his helmet earlier. He won't get girls if he keeps punching each one he sees."

Alix was appalled by the discovery. "He would?"

"Michelle was joking." Nicol hastily explained. "Yzak… has a bad temper but he is kind by nature."

Alix nodded halfheartedly. She already made up her mind earlier not to be anywhere near that Coordinator barbarian ever again.

"Ah, Nicol, since you're here…" The lady medic officer glanced at her watch. Her shift was almost over and she was thoroughly tired. She finished up the dressing on Alix's face and began to pack. "Can you help me escort Ms. Whitley to her bunk?"

Nicol shrugged. "Sure."

As they walked in silence along the corridor, Nicol shifted her bag, which he offered to carry for her, on his shoulders. He couldn't help but brood over what he overheard.

"_You're a Coordinator."_

"_I heard that the mobile suits and the ship we're pursing were designed by you. You're an impressive lass, even by Coordinator standards, this I give you. But why? Why are you helping the Naturals against us, against your own kind?"_

He cast a furtive glance at her, and actually felt ashamed of his behavior when Alix looked back at him, oblivious to his thoughts. He decided to apologize. "Sorry."

"Ah... Hm..." Alix was at loss as to what to say. She was actually feeling as awkward as Nicol. It was weird; the route to her cabin seemed to take forever. Then unwittingly, Athrun popped into her mind, making her realize the indigo-haired Coordinator was nowhere in sight. Oddly enough, she liked to see him now.

"Yes?" Nicol probed.

"Where is... Zala-kun?"

"Oh..." Nicol didn't expect her to ask about Athrun. "Athrun was called upon by our Commander to return to PLANT with him."

Alix inclined her head in thought. "I see."

They continued to walk in silence as they turned at the corner. Alix bit her lips, undecided whether she should ask him about Strike. He was there, so he should be clear of the happening then. Furthermore, this green-haired Red seemed to be more amicable compared to the other two Reds she encountered just now. "Hmm…?"

Nicol turned to look at her. "Yes?"

Alix halted her tracks, and clasped the sides of her dress. "You… "

Nicol halted his tracks when he saw Alix wasn't moving. In fact, he thought he should formally introduce himself. "My name is Nicol Amalfi. You can call me Nicol." He said with an assuring smile that set Alix's mind at ease.

She decided to return his manners in kind. "Alright, Nicol. My name is Alix Whitley. You can call me Alix too."

'_I already know who you are…'_ Nicol added inwardly with a sigh. "Alright, Alix. You have something to ask me?"

'_He's one of the Reds after all…' _Alix thought, sensing his sharpness in observing how people behaved around him. Recalling the pilots of the Gundams as told by Rau, Alix said, "You... are the pilot of Blitz."

Nicol raised an eyebrow at that. He hadn't really expected her to talk about the Gundams with him. But on second thoughts, she was _the_ creator. "Yes."

"How... do you find the Gundam?" Alix asked, though she didn't really want to discuss about that. But she thought it was a good way to ease into the subject of Strike's well-being.

Nicol gave it a thought. "It was a unique Gundam, compared to the rest."

"I see." Alix replied, and began walking.

Nicol took that as a cue and followed suit.

"Do you have any difficulty in piloting it?"

Nicol stared at her for a moment. _'She actually cared whether I was having difficulty in piloting Blitz? Which side was she really on…?'_

Alix misinterpreted his reaction and thought she was sounding as though she doubted his ability. "Ah… I mean, it was a… unique Gundam as you said. It has the Mirage Colloid installed. I'm sure you've noticed that already."

Nicol nodded. "Ah… yes."

Alix took the terse reply to her advantage and drove in for Strike. "Compared to _Strike_, it does have some certain advantages." She turned to look at Nicol then, to judge his reaction and fortunately, she got what she wanted. Nicol began talking about the Gundam.

The comment struck Nicol's memory of the sortie in Artemis. "But too bad, he still managed to slip through my hands."

"He was not destroyed?" Alix blurted, and almost regretted her impulsive question when Nicol looked at her with a surprised look. But fortunately again, Nicol brushed it off with a shrug. "Yes. I was annoyed actually, that he managed to slip through our hands time and again."

By now, Alix's curiosity had reached the maximum. "What happened?" She tried to sound as casual as possible and luckily, Nicol obliged. In fact, he told her everything, from how Strike managed to escape with the help of the mobile armor at first to their sortie in Artemis.

"So, that time when Yzak hit you… I'm sure it was unintentional, given that we all just returned from our sortie and everyone was feeling below par."

Alix was more concerned about the well being of Archangel and Strike, since from what she had interpreted from Nicol's guarded conversation, it seemed that they were not giving up the hunt for them. Because Alix was so engrossed with what Nicol was saying to her, she did not realize that the door she was approaching slid open.

The collision was inevitable.

**+Destiny Child+**

It has been a long day.

After hanging up with the messenger from the Headquarters who informed him that Vesalius was departing sooner than the stipulated time, Athrun was shocked when he turned on the news channel on his computer.

"On this ship, the representative of the Memorial Committee, Lacus Clyne, was onboard. Communications from the ship has been severed. To reiterate, to prepare for the one year anniversary for Junius Seven, we have lost contact with the ship, Silverwind, which was heading to the fallen colony since yesterday evening."

Athrun was instantly concerned. "Lacus…"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Thank you for salvaging my lifeboat." Lacus started to say, and glanced at the three Alliances' officer before her. "I'm Lacus Clyne."

Halo was the only one that responded to her. "Halo! Lacus!" And she thought she should introduce her pet as well. "This is my friend, Halo."

Halo responded, "Halo! Hello to everyone!"

Murrue and Mwu sighed in defeat while Natarle simply stared at the pink princess. Sai and the others were utterly curious about the pink-haired girl's identity. Although they were told to stay away the bunk where the adults interrogate her, they couldn't help but eavesdrop by leaning themselves at the door.

"What are they saying? I can't hear a word." Tolle whined.

"Keep quiet, guys." Sai reprimanded, and leaned his ears closer.

They got a shock when the door suddenly slid open and revealed the stern-looking Natarle. "What are you guys doing here instead of ship maintenance? Go to the maintenance room immediately!"

They scrambled away upon Natarle's lecture, and Kira was left standing at the corridor. He was as curious as them, but he knew better than to eavesdrop like them. He widened his eyes in surprise when the pink-haired girl actually waved to him from inside the room. Thinking not to incur Natarle's wrath, he too scrambled away before Natarle could do anything.

"Clyne huh…?" Mwu commented once they were alone in the bunk. Was Fate playing a deathly trick on them? "I believe the Chairman of PLANT's High Council was Sigel Clyne…"

"Ah!" Lacus perked up instantly. "Sigel Clyne is my Father! You know him?"

'_Who doesn't…?'_ The three Alliances' officers thought unanimously with defeated sighs.

"Why is someone like you floating around here?" Murrue asked.

"I was on my way to investigate the tragic incident in Junius Seven." Lacus replied as a matter of fact. "But while on our way there, our ship ran into an Earth Alliance's ship. I mentioned this because we were told we would be escorted but it looks like the people of Earth were not too fond of the objective of our mission. A small altercation spread into a gigantic incident. When that happened, the people around me put me in a lifeboat and launched me away."

Murrue thought that was unlucky of her. "How…"

"So what about the ship you were in?" Mwu asked.

Lacus sighed, and lowered her head. She was not sure either. "I don't know…I just hope the people of Earth will dilute their anger after this…"

Murrue, Natarle and Mwu just stared at her, thinking she was pretty harmless and in fact, kind and innocent.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun raised his brows when he saw his father again. He was talking to Rau. Being polite, he saluted to the both of them as he floated into Vesalius.

"Athrun."

He turned and faced them when he heard his father called out to him.

As usual, his Father was straight to the point. "You've heard about Lacus?"

"Yes." He answered, and grasped what his Father was going to say next. He turned to Rau. "But Commander, isn't Vesalius-"

"Now, you're quite a harsh man." Rau interjected teasingly, though he was trying to stop Athrun from revealing what he _hadn't_ reported to his father yet. "Of course, we are going to retrieve her."

His change of subject succeeded when father and son started talking about the pink princess.

"But there's no telling what actually happened." Athrun argued. "Besides, it's a civilian ship."

It was international military law that militants should and would leave civilian ships alone.

"We didn't publicize this, but the ship that went to investigate her disappearance also lost contact with us." Patrick informed.

"Because of _Earth'_s gravity, Junius Seven is now in the Debris Belt." Rau informed further, knowing the intelligent son would grasp the meaning between his lines. "It's not a pleasant area. Gamof also lost a ship at Artemis."

Athrun frowned, pondering on the possibility that the Alliances' forces could be behind this act. "Could it be-?"

"Everyone that lives on PLANT knows that you and Lacus are engaged." Patrick interjected in a tone that suggested no contradiction. "So it would seem strange if you were in the Creuset squad and not investigate this incident."

"But…" Athrun tried to protest, and turned to Rau for help. He felt that primarily, they should go after Archangel, because he was sure somehow, his fiancée would turn out alright, given the ship she was in. Rau simply gave him a look that suggested him to go along with his father.

"She is an idol." Patrick added finally. "An idol is a celebrity. I'll leave this case to you, Creuset, Athrun."

Helplessly, Athrun saluted in acceptance like Rau. "Yes, Sir."

As he watched his father disappear into the distance, he blurted out his thoughts, "So it basically means to rescue her and look like a hero…?"

"Or does it mean return sobbing while carrying her remains…?" Athrun was shocked at Rau's comment, and turned to stare at him. He thought his Commander was quick in his amendments. "Basically, he's saying you're needed, whatever the situation is." He dismissed him by floating away with the last word. "To President Zala that is…"

Athrun narrowed his eyes at Rau. Sometimes, he really didn't know what the Commander was up to.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Hurts…" Alix blurted out the moment she rammed into _something_ soft yet firm. She was glad for the steady clasp around her waist, for she would most probably faltered and tripped herself, given the abrupt harshness of the impact. A split second after the clash, her senses told her that the _something_ was actually a _someone._ She nursed her forehead and was about to utter an apology when she got a shock of her life upon tilting her head up.

That _someone_ turned out to be the Coordinator barbarian!

Yzak jerked away with a disdainful expression almost at the same time upon the discovery of whom he almost knocked over.

It was the Natural Twirp!

Unlike Alix, he was quick to snap, "Ah! Ah! Ah! I should have known the Naturals have their eyes on their ass!" He dusted his uniform vigorously after that; a show displaying Alix had tainted his uniform.

Nicol stiffened at the comment, knowing very well Alix was not what they thought she was, and thus forgot to hold her back when he saw her rolled her eyes at Yzak before taking a defiant step forward.

"At least this Natural whose eyes are on her ass has the guts and manners to say I'M SORRY!"

Yzak caught the sarcasm in her words. "Damn you…" His veins twitched as he took a step forward, towering over her. "Do you want me to fix the other side of your face too?"

This Coordinator barbarian was impossible! And he was making _her_ impossible too, because she decided to take a bet against his words. She was actually worried he might really carry out his threat, given his ferocious glare and all, but Rau did mention before that she was to be treated kindly by all, didn't he? She shoved her head directly in front of him, which caught Yzak off-guard as he backed a step.

"Go on, hit me again!" Alix encouraged. "Give it your best shot! And I shall see how you will squirm when I tell Rau about you!" She took a deep breath after that, amazed that she _could_ actually become this wanton. Well, thanks to him, she knew it now. She inwardly gave herself a hooray when she won her own bet.

Yzak was rendered speechless. He tried to respond, but closed his mouth when he found no words to spit back at her. He grit his teeth and hissed instead, clenching his fists at his sides.

The damned Natural Twirp actually hit his Achilles' heel.

Nicol regained his senses then. Knowing his quick-tempered silver-haired comrade, if he allowed Alix to hover around him further, there was this high possibility, probably 99.9 percent that he might really strike her. Yzak Joule was notorious for his intolerance for provocations after all.

And unfortunately, the appearance of Dearka coming back from the Gents only made matters worse. He shook his head unbelievably and clapped his hands in admiration for Alix. "That was cool, lady! You're actually the first one who has the last word with him!"

It was enough, Nicol decided. Any moment now the volcano would erupt. "Excuse us!" He said abruptly, grabbing Alix's wrist and started dragging her away. He pulled her to go faster when she heard her snort, knowing well her snort was loud enough for Yzak to hear, which he wished he hadn't.

When Yzak was provoked… well, let's just say it would take an immortal to withstand the devil within him. Nicol almost shoved Alix into the cabin next to Yzak, before he scrambled to get the lock on at the door. He only heaved a sigh of relief when the red light lit up, because that meant the lock was on.

"Keep the lock on when you're asleep… or alone." He suggested. Then upon the thought of Yzak being her neighbor, he shook his head. "No, keep the lock on at all times when you're in the bunk. You can use this button to see who's outside if anyone's calling on you."

Alix nodded. "Okay." She almost smiled at Nicol's absentmindedness. "But I think you're on the wrong side of the door."

Nicol was self-conscious upon the reminder. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he uttered his apology and explained the need to 'seek shelter' here for a while.

Alix understood his 'fear' and chuckled at his sense of humor, shrugging off the issue of them being alone in the same room. She knew she could trust him despite the short acquaintance with the ZAFT Red soldier. In fact, she had begun to like Nicol Amalfi.

She decided to brush Yzak out of her mind, and she started by apologizing for her behavior just now. It was untypical of her to be quarrelsome, but somehow the Coordinator barbarian just knew how to unleash her darker side.

Nicol simply waved a dismissive hand, and helped himself a seat on the bed to her right. "You don't need to apologize to me. Yzak is difficult to deal with at times."

"You mean _all_ the time?" Alix corrected, and helped herself a seat on the bed across him.

Nicol chuckled. "Yes." Then he thought he should introduce this bunk to her, since her eyes started hovering around already.

"This is actually the cabin of Athrun and Miguel-senpai." He began.

Alix turned to look at him at that and he took it as a cue to continue.

"Gamof wasn't as big as Vesalius, so our cabins are limited." In consideration to her feelings, he made it a point to skip the part where no female Gamof crew wanted to share their cabin with her, much less give up their cabin. He brushed that cruel fact to the back of his mind and looked around instead, searching for signs of 'prohibited things' lying anywhere.

Well, he should trust Athrun anyway.

"I heard from Miguel-senpai that Athrun is a hygiene freak, so I think the cleanliness in this cabin should pass. Their things were moved out of your way already. You can place your things over there and since there are two beds here, you have the privilege to choose."

"What about your Miguel-senpai?" Alix asked, understanding Athrun was not in Gamof now. "Where does he sleep now?"

Nicol's gaze dropped to the floor between them. "He passed away."

Alix was instantly sorry. "Sorry."

Nicol shook his head. "It's alright. It's been some time."

Judging from his reaction, Alix reckoned Nicol must be on pretty good terms with his Miguel-senpai. Athrun too, she added inwardly with her gut feeling.

"So where's your bunk?" She asked, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible to change the dull atmosphere she accidentally created.

"Oh… mine is directly opposite yours." Nicol replied with a sheepish smile.

Alix nodded. "I see. Who do you share it with?"

"I share it with Rusty."

'_!' _Alix cursed herself inwardly. Why couldn't she say the correct things? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright." Nicol interjected with a shrug. "I understand."

Alix nodded apologetically. It was never easy to talk about this kind of things, but she couldn't help but be curious about the late ZAFT Red soldier who saved her. And since the subject was already broached…

"How… was Rusty? How was he as a person, I mean?" She asked, feeling somehow accountable for his death.

Nicol looked up then. Thinking it was natural for one to know more about his savior, he started talking about Rusty.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak was left fuming when Nicol dragged Alix away. He slammed his fists on his door, stormed inside his own cabin, and swept the things off the desk. He had wanted to practice shooting before he collided with Alix. Thanks to her, his interest was completely lost upon the meeting. The Natural Twirp was impossible! She actually dared him to hit her! She actually dared to use Rau against him! Who the hell did she think she was anyway? She was only an insignificant spoilt Natural who would die by the hands of the Coordinators someday! His hands, he corrected almost immediately. _His_ hands! She was lucky that Nicol dragged her away in the nick of time. If not, he would have fixed her up until she couldn't remember who she was.

He whipped his pillow at Dearka when he saw him with his goofy smile at the doorway of their cabin. "Wipe off that disgusting smile yourself or I shall do it on your behalf!" He snarled, and folded his arms as he dropped on his bed.

Dearka simply shrugged and hugged the pillow he caught to his chest. "Come on, Yzak. You're acting like a woman who is having one of _those_ days." Dearka raised an eyebrow when he barely dodged Yzak's instantaneous punch. "Whew!"

"Shut your smug ass up!" Yzak growled. Then it struck him; Nicol had dragged the twirp into Athrun's cabin… And because Dearka had left their door open, Yzak was pretty sure they were still inside…

"What are they doing in Athrun's cabin?" He turned to Dearka, who was flipping a porn magazine with his legs propped up on the wretched desk.

His pal merely shrugged. "Sleeping."

"Come on, that kid needs to grow up too." Dearka added in a drawl when Yzak glared at him.

"You and your filthy mind!" Yzak snapped, knowing Nicol. Besides, that was a Natural! And an ugly Natural for that! It was disgusting to do it with a Natural, especially since she was so ugly. He bolted up from his bed and headed for the door with the intention of finding the real cause when Dearka stopped him.

"She is sleeping next to us, by the Captain's orders."

"Since when?" He snapped back, a look of disbelief etched across his irritated face.

"You ask me? You were there during the meeting! Did you even listen?" Dearka retorted.

Yzak snorted. "I don't pay attention to insignificant things."

"Well, this _insignificant thing_ will be sleeping next to us whether you like it or not." Dearka shot back.

Yzak rolled his eyes at Dearka and started to stride out of their cabin when Dearka stopped him again. "Remember _Rau_…"

He caught the hint of mockery in his blonde comrade's advice, but knew better than to argue further with him. He merely gave him a hard glare and stormed out of their cabin, taking two steps into one as he reached Athrun's cabin.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix was listening attentively to Nicol when it struck her! Her cabin was next to the Coordinator barbarian! She did not realize she had blurted out her appalled discovery until Nicol replied her. "Yes. Your cabin is next to Yzak and Dearka."

Alix emitted a sigh of exasperation. No wonder he told her to keep her lock on at all times! Nicol thought she looked pretty defeated, and sought to add. "It is a bit inconvenient, since this area is actually the pilots' cabins, where most of us are guys."

Alix nodded halfheartedly. What Nicol added wasn't really a big problem as long as she stayed inside her cabin. The big problem was that the Coordinator barbarian was next to her! God! Even the thought gave her creeps!

"How long am I going to stay here?" She managed to ask in the end.

Nicol shrugged. "I don't know. As a matter of fact, I was surprised when the Commander transferred you here. I thought he would be bringing you back to PLANT, since you are a civilian." He tapped his chin. "Though you're not really an ordinary civilian," he added almost as an afterthought.

Alix knew what Nicol was trying to say and looked away with a sigh. Then, she thought she should ask. "So, when is he coming back?"

"The Comm-"

Nicol was interjected when they both jumped simultaneously at the sudden pounding on the door.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Open the door, Nicol!" Yzak demanded, and whammed his fists repeatedly on the door. "Do you hear me, Nicol? I said, open the DAMNED door!" He snarled, and gave the door a hard kick. "Don't make me-"

He was stopped short when the door just slid open and revealed the person he hated to see most; The Natural Twerp. She was glaring up at him, with Nicol in the background looking helpless.

"What do you want?" Alix snapped.

"Get out! You're not fit to sleep in our cabins!" Yzak snapped back. "You will only taint them!"

"So?" came the quick sharp rejoinder.

Yzak was rendered speechless for a second. He couldn't believe such a shameless human even existed. "So, GET OUT!"

Alix scowled. She couldn't believe such a pigheaded human even existed. This conversation was pointless to begin with. She knew it was rude to do it, but she couldn't resist the urge.

Without hesitation, she stomped on his foot and retreated into her cabin as fast as her reflexes could manage, scrambling for the lock as soon as she was inside. She could hear him bawling out all kinds of profanities outside, and she had to cover her ears tightly to block the words out. No, she had to cover her ears to block _his _voice out.

Nicol sighed helplessly and slumped his shoulders in defeat. As he looked at Alix with her grimaced expression and all, he reckoned…

The worst battle had yet to come.


	18. Battle of the Princesses

**Chapter 18: Battle of the Princesses**

After Nicol excused himself, Alix dropped herself face down on one of the beds.

She was absolutely _exhausted_.

Mentally exhausted.

Her head was still throbbing, though the intensity fluctuated now and then. Taking care not to mess up the salve on the bruise on her face, Alix reached for the back of her head, where her bullet was. She had begun to suspect whether it was the cause of it, in view of the fact that the medics told her she was all right already. However, she doubted so, as she wouldn't be having this irksome headache if she was really okay. And though she hated to admit it, for the second time, the exchange with the Coordinator barbarian managed to provide a temporary relief to the persistent ache in her head.

The Coordinator Barbarian...

Alix shuddered at the thought of him. Not only was he irritatingly cantankerous, he was persistently long-winded too. For as long as five minutes, he would have continued his ranting at her doorstep had Nicol intervened with the help of his other comrade. The three lasted another good five minutes at the doorway, before calm finally reigned around her.

She turned herself around and stared at the ceiling, lamenting at her own situation. All of a sudden, she missed her family. She wondered how they were doing now. She must have gotten them worried like hell, especially Samantha. And the moment she thought about Shinn, the tears just formed at the corners of her eyes on its own. She curled herself into a ball, wishing he was by her side now.

But on second thought, she hoped not.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Artemis was destroyed?" Azrael commented nonchalantly, whirling the glass of red wine in his hands as he crossed his legs on the lounge chair. "Well, that's the Coordinators for you."

She broke her gaze from the greenery outside and twirled around when she heard that, her brows starting to wrinkle. "What?"

"Those mutants were pursing Archangel, or so I heard." Djibril drawled as he took a sip of red wine from his glass, before snickering at her, "Looks like your umbrella can only reach so far, _Professor Whitley._"

She turned away, obviously displeased. But she wasn't going to show it. She downed the glass of red wine she held tightly in her hands as her veins twitched at the thought of the Coordinators' cockiness. First the mobile suits, now this? She had spent months that amounted to years to materialize the defense mechanism of Artemis! How dare they do this to her time and again!

She chewed her lips as she lamented her greatest loss – Alix.

Samantha might not have believed it, but she was missing her good-natured sister too. It had been close to one month since her disappearance, and she had almost come to terms that this daughter of hers could well be dead. The investigators she engaged always returned with similar depressing news. Some even advised her to give up the pointless hunt already. She would have had not Samantha's persistence to keep the search going. Samantha's reactions to their reports were always more drastic than her. In fact, her biological daughter had gotten so drastic that she had stopped talking to her altogether.

Despite being grounded, old habits die hard. Her willful daughter was reported sneaking out every now and then, though most of the time; it was to visit the half-dead Roy. She was surprised actually, at the two's relationship, but come to think of it, you have Alix in the middle.

Nonetheless, as willful as Samantha Whitley was, she was her daughter nevertheless. And she couldn't afford any chances on her now that the world was thrown into a chaotic abyss. Thus, after careful consideration with the recommendation from Azrael himself, after all the bodyguards she sent to guard Samantha always failed to keep her in check, she decided to use _him_…

Sometimes… she was jealous of Alix. She was jealous of her weight in Samantha's heart. She _could_ have turned Samantha against her if she wanted to, which was the primary reason she couldn't allow her to reunite with her real family. She would lose her own daughter. Samantha would have forgotten_ who_ she was and went along with her. She couldn't allow anyone who had such huge influence on her daughter to go against her.

Yes. She was _so_ jealous of Alix Zala. She was jealous of her well-defined physical traits. She was jealous of her kind nature. She was jealous of her intelligence. And though she would rather die than admit it, she was _most_ jealous of her power on people.

The announcement of Alix Whitley contracting some terminal rare disease had caused public uproar around the world, particularly in ORB. Despite being the most low-profile member of the main royal family, the fourth princess had won the hearts of many through her much acclaimed SA Foundation. Top scientists and doctors had offered their professional help with no charge at all. People from all over the world, including PLANT, flooded their regards and tokens to the Foundation; religious groups prayed for her around the clock; the retired Queen, her own mother, who knew the truth from Samantha, grieved for her.

Even her brother, Uzumi, the head of ORB, had dismissed her audacity of her secret operation in Helipolis on Alix's account with a mere lecture concluding he would take all responsibilities of the aftermath.

Considering the extent of her influence, Uzumi and the Emirs had decided not to disclose the unfortunate episode, fearing her unjustified circumstance would invoke the peoples' animosity against ZAFT, against the Coordinators. Depending on the outcome of their investigations, they would issue another official statement of her status upon the end of the hunt.

Yes.

Apart from her own team of investigators, Uzumi had sent his own team of investigators in search of the lost, most probably dead, princess… Just _what_ did Alix Zala possess that could make people go all the way for her?

What?

Closing her eyes, she sucked in a deep breath. _'Enough of these foolish thoughts…'_

She had lost the mobile suits; she couldn't afford to lose anymore. Raking a hand irritatingly across her blonde hair, Gladys rolled her eyes at Djibril, who had been watching her. Azrael was talking to other members of their group but she couldn't care, "Can we track its location?"

The fanatical leader of Blue Cosmos raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly catching no meaning in her words. She knew better. But she couldn't afford to waste any more time on his games. "Archangel." She said as a matter of fact, folding her arms.

Djibril came up beside her, standing so close she had to take a step back, for she couldn't stand the foul cologne hanging around him. He had this disgusting smirk as he informed, "We are doing it as we speak. In fact, Admiral Halberton seems to have some positive news."

Without much of a farewell, she dismissed the group by striding out of the lounge.

"Where are you going, Gladys?" Azrael called out.

"I'm going to get my ship back."

**+Destiny Child+**

He had been watching her for some time now.

By now, he knew her habits and her flair of wrapping people around her fingers. This explained why he was here. They knew people like him would be immune to her charm... no, tactics. But he had to admit; her unbridled charisma did attract him in some ways. Perhaps he was getting used to it, but he liked watching her. She was refreshingly different from the people around him. What she felt was right there for everybody to see. She possessed both the physical qualities to grace teens' fashion magazines and the brains to make a fine scientist, but what attracted him most about her was her loyalty towards her loved ones.

Roy was supposed to be 'put to sleep' due to his weakening condition and his loss of reason to exist. Prolonging his existence would only waste resources, or so he was told. Though he felt sorry for his ex-comrade, he let things be.

_She_, on the other hand, did just the opposite. Not only did she vehemently oppose the idea, she even risked her life to keep him safe. She slashed her own wrist with a hidden blade when they were in the midst of putting Roy to sleep. And she threatened to hurt herself again if they dared to touch Roy again.

A pretty risky tactic, in his opinion, since it _almost_ cost her own life, but it had worked. She was notorious for her willful say-it-will-do-it temperament, and her mother, the woman known to have things done her way, surrendered.

Roy was left alone.

After that, rain or shine, she would visit the ex-elite every other day, making sure he was well taken care of.

Then, there was Cagalli Yula Attha.

She could have taken advantage of the Crown Princess' unfavorable circumstance and pushed away all responsibilities of the Heliopolis escapade, taking into account the fact she was not there during the fall of the colony. Her mother had expected her to do that, considering the damage it had done to ORB.

But she didn't.

This of course, pissed her mother off more than she already was. Tossing away the chance to become the next heiress, she stood by Cagalli Yula Attha during the trial of the Emirs. The princess was supposed to be stripped of her Crown Princess title because of her impulsive frivolity, but due to her intervention, everything remained status quo.

Then, you have the bodyguards. He had expected her to treat them like shit and throw her missy tantrums around them like most rich missies did, but much to his surprise; she treated them like friends, which probably explained why she managed to have her way most of the time. While she backed them up when her mother learned of their incompetence to keep her in check, each and every one of them actually took turns to speak up for her too.

This kind of two-way loyalty somehow fascinated him.

And for a moment, he wondered about her late sister, the one person she shared her world intimately with. From what he gathered, she was very close to her late sister. He heard a lot about them. They were a joy to watch, he was told.

She was crushed with devastation when she learned of her death. For a while, she died along with her. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep and wouldn't speak. During that period, she cooped herself in her room until news of Roy made her human again. After that, from being indifferent to everything to now working her youth away for the Foundation she founded with her sister, he knew she still grieved for her… only in a different way.

She maintained her sister's room as before, a futile attempt on her part that yearned for her sister's return. Well, he couldn't blame her. She was still in the adjustment period. Every day she would spend at least spend three hours in her room, which she could well call it her own now. She would watch the montage videos they had made together; took out her sister's favorite dress from the wardrobe to look at it yearningly, then eventually slept on her sister's bed with her sister's portrait photo she had it framed on the nightstand.

But today, her habitual ritual in her sister's room was a little different.

She had company.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched quietly. He was caught off-guard, however, when she abruptly pulled her top over her head and tossed it aside. Feeling it was inappropriate to watch her then, he turned away.

**+Destiny Child+**

"What are you doing?" asked Cagalli cautiously as she gave Samantha a suspicious once-over.

Samantha gave her a bored look as she reached for the air-con remote control. The weather these days was getting on her nerves. "I'm going to rape you." She replied as a matter of fact.

Cagalli widened her eyes and drew a gasp, and Samantha had to show her exasperation. "Duh!"

"Put your blouse back." Cagalli retorted in faux irritation. She had meant to say 'you're going to catch a cold like this' but it turned out, "You look disgusting."

Out of her surprise, her blonde cousin didn't take offense as she usually would of her sarcasm. She merely rolled her violet-blue eyes and went around the desk to pull a sketchbook out from the drawer. "I didn't invite you here to discuss about how disgusting I look."

Because Samantha sounded and looked serious when she said that, Cagalli remained silent. She shrugged, and dropped herself on the queen-sized bed, tucking her hands behind her head as she dangled her legs absentmindedly. She sighed sadly. The bedroom still smelled of Alix.

Guilt tugged her mind then. She should have looked out for her good-natured cousin instead of selfishly whining about the ideals of ORB being dashed when they were in Heliopolis. If truth be told, she still couldn't believe Alix was… a kind soul like her shouldn't be... she was still so young, so talented…

She would never forgive herself for this.

She glanced at Samantha at that moment. She knew she was taking it harder than anyone else in the family. She practically grew up with Alix after all. The rooted bond between them was enviable even by her, the one girl who supposedly had everything. Given she was an only child; this was something she might never be able to understand. She never thought bonds like this existed, especially for girls. And as time went by as she hung out with the sisters, she found herself wanting to be accepted into their world.

She wanted the bond the two shared.

Unwittingly, she sighed again. She just owed the Whitley sisters so much. Alix was always looking out for her, and Samantha, though she looked like she didn't care a hoot about her, she _cared _about her. Had it not been for Samantha's intervention, she would have lost her rights to the country. Samantha's retorts to the Emirs were still fresh in her mind.

"_Only by finding the truth with our own hands will we truly realize the significance behind it. And if that's wrong, then what is right? Staying in the Palace without knowing the true realities of the outside world, would that make one a good leader? Listening to and obeying Oji-sama for every word he says... at this rate, Cagalli will only end up being a good daughter, and not the ORB leader she should be. Does ORB want a leader who will be led by the nose by the manipulation of those who cleverly defined as advice? If that's the case, are you old men saying that we should listen to ZAFT and EAF and join in the war? If that's the case, are you saying that the ideals we've been upholding are all bluster? If that's the case, are you saying we're cheating the world all along? _

_Being the leader of ORB, she should be strong enough to sustain our ideals by having an independent mind of her own and her own set of ideals that she must uphold, even if it means turning every one of you against her. Only by immersing herself into the harsh realities of the current situation can she understand the need for peace, the need to uphold the ideals that you old men have been hanging on your lips. And that is Cagalli Yula Attha, everyone. The seed of ORB's future, OUR future. Of course, it is my honor, as well as Alix's, to assist her."_

Her statement rendered everyone speechless, and her father smiling when he left the Great Hall.

"Cagalli! Long time no see! Long time no see!"

The robotic greeting snapped her thoughts. Chouchou, Samantha's robotic pet, had flown into the bedroom. She glanced at Samantha again, who had a mild frown across her face. Cagalli lifted an eyebrow, for only then did she realize that Samantha had put on her blouse.

Sitting up on the bed, Cagalli reached for the mechanical butterfly, which perched on her index finger deferentially.

"How are you?" Chouchou asked, flapping its wings softly.

Cagalli smiled sadly in response. The pet reminded her _more _of Alix. Alix created Chouchou for their AI project. She topped the class for that, wowing everyone as she always did. Because Chouchou was equipped with a camera, it could easily recognized people. It also possessed fundamental communicative ability. It would blurt out greetings and engage in conversations whenever it saw friends, and inform Samantha and/or Alix if it spotted unfamiliar strange characters loitering near them. It could also trace one's whereabouts and convey messages. She didn't know how Alix did it, but she managed to bestow Chouchou with analytical skills too. And if you were bored, it could do a trick or two to amuse you.

Naturally, she gave it to Samantha.

Alix mentioned before Chouchou was her test subject actually, and went on talking about how AI and the art of engineering could revolutionize peoples' lives. She didn't bother to pay much attention then, but from there she knew, Alix was a girl with lofty inspirations. Perhaps Samantha was always with Alix that her aspirations had rubbed off on her, or perhaps it was in her too, but Samantha was as ambitious as Alix.

However, in a different field.

While Alix was interested in the area of engineering, Samantha was into life science. As flibbertigibbet as Samantha Whitley might have looked, Cagalli had long known that her blonde cousin's talent was not limited to being a ballerina. Much like Alix, Samantha topped her class too, and made substantial contributions in finding cures for the deadly diseases that were intimidating the Naturals. Now, she was involved in a project regarding the reproduction issue that was daunting the Coordinators.

In their own ways, both sisters had raised the eyebrows of many, speculating them to be great women in time to come. Of course, she believed they would be too. ORB was certainly blessed to have them. But she couldn't help but felt inept as compared to them. She was neither proficient in any of the fields, nor was she good in her own way. She was always gauche, with neither the intellect nor the resources to weave her way through.

With a sigh, she brushed these issues aside and focused on why she was here, for she wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be grounded in her own quarters by her own father. How Samantha managed to get her out remained a mystery to her.

Her movements were put under microscope after the trial.

She had two guards by her doorway twenty-four-seven and another two just below her window in case she snuck out from there. Plus, there were groups of guards on duty around the Palace, so it was almost impossible for one to roam around the place unnoticed. With that idea in mind, it was absurd to know that the two escorts Samantha sent for her sauntered into her bedroom effortlessly.

By effortlessly, she meant the two MIBs came in by the doorway unharmed, without any hindrance. Her doorway was empty when she peered out into the hallway, and the coast was clear when she made her way out of the Palace. It was obvious that some _arrangement_ was made but she didn't bother to find out how, because she knew, Samantha Whitley _always_ had her ways.

"So, what is it?" She asked, trying to sound as casual as possible under Samantha's brooding expression. "You know I can't stay long, so shoot."

Samantha directed her ponderous eyes to her at that. She decided to cast aside the fleeting silhouette she spotted among the trees for now. She shook her head. For no apparent reason she thought then, Chouchou had been hovering around her for the past two weeks. She didn't realize she had been so preoccupied with her work to notice about Chouchou's alerts to her. Was her plan leaked?

It couldn't be. She made sure to keep it to herself until this moment so-

"Oei."

Samantha's thoughts snapped at the voice. She blinked, and realized Cagalli was narrowing her eyes at her. She mentally perked herself up and pulled up the corners of her lips.

Yes. She would take care of the silhouette later. Now, her plan comes first.

"What's wrong with you?" Cagalli asked, as she watched Samantha settled on the bed beside her.

Thinking not to alarm Cagalli, Samantha merely shrugged, and tossed the sketchbook she retrieved from the drawer to Cagalli. Cagalli caught it, was about to ask about the blue A4 sketchbook when Samantha said, "Take a look."

Without a second thought, Cagalli did as told. She flipped the sketchbook open and got her shock of her day.

Right before her eyes was the sketch, or rather, the blueprint of one of the Gundam she saw in Heliopolis.

"GAT-X105 Strike…" She blurted out upon spotting its name scrawled at the bottom of the page underlined. Though fascinated by how formidable the Gundam looked just on paper; she couldn't help but draw her brows tight at the handwriting scrawled all over the page.

It was the same handwriting found in her lecture notes.

Incredulous, she flipped the pages, and found her breath caught at the back of her throat. Every other page, she was greeted with a new Gundam of equal sophistication. Every other page was infested with the familiar handwriting she recognized to be of-

"There are altogether eight of them." Samantha informed, halting her thoughts that moment. "And this…" Samantha flipped the pages to the end, where a sketch of an impressive ship stared back at her, "is their mother ship."

Cagalli brushed her fingers across its name scrawled slanted on the left corner of the sketch. _'Archangel…'_

"Amazing, aren't they?" Samantha remarked, looking at the sketch with a dry smirk. Boy, was she proud of her sister! It makes her all the more determined to realize her dream come what may. It was the least she could do to ease the guilt she felt towards her.

Cagalli's heart sank. They were amazing alright, but the handwriting… the handwriting…and for the sketchbook to be in Samantha's possession, in which she retrieved it in _her_ drawer in _her_ room… no doubt the sketchbook belonged to…

"Where did you get this?" She managed to bring herself to ask. She wanted a confirmation, for she refused to believe _she_ was the-

"It's Alix's."

Traitor.

Cagalli froze. Maybe she doesn't want a confirmation after all.

"Those Gundams-"

"Were sold to the Earth Alliance." The interjection was cold, disappointed.

It was Samantha's turn to freeze in realization. It hadn't dawned on her beforehand that Cagalli had known so much. Judging from the harsh expression on Cagalli, it made Samantha wonder about Alix. If Cagalli had known this much during that short period of time in Heliopolis, then wouldn't Alix have known the full truth then…?

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes then, for the fact she had been trying to deny for weeks slapped her right in the face. She deceived Alix. She left her in the lurch when she could have protected her! Her last moment must be spent in shocked hatred for her! God. How did she allow things to turn out this way?

"Are you trying to tell me that Alix is the traitor?" Cagalli demanded, feeling hopelessly confused and shocked and angry now. "That I was wrong to believe in her? Alix was the last person I would think as a traitor! Why are you telling me these now? Alix… I… I trusted her!" Then, another realization hit. "Were you involved too?"

Samantha jerked her head away and shut her eyes in irritation. She couldn't fault Cagalli for feeling this way, but what was she to say now? That the traitor was in fact her own mother? As much as she was at odds with her own mother most of the time, _the_ Gladys Whitley was still her mother, her family. She wouldn't and couldn't tell on her mother, especially to Cagalli.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and opened her eyes to meet Cagalli's scowl. She noticed that Cagalli had gotten so agitated that the sketchbook looked about to be torn. "Yes, these vessels were sold to the EAF. No, Alix is not the traitor and she would be the last person to be one. No, you were not wrong to believe in her. And I'm telling you these now is because I want you to know the real truth and participate in the plan I have in mind. As for my answer to your last question, I guess in some way, I was."

Cagalli kept his doubtful expression on, but Samantha knew it wouldn't take long for Cagalli to believe her. She was right. Cagalli's expression softened, though she remained somewhat disturbed. "Then, what is it?"

With a sigh, Samantha explained, "The Gundams and Archangel were meant for ORB." She paused, reckoning Cagalli would raise questions from here.

She did. "If that was the case, why did they end up in EAF's hands? I saw it with my own eyes! They were loaded into their vessel carrier! They were sold to the EAF!"

Samantha bit her lips. Really, just how much did Cagalli Yula Attha see? Was Alix with her at that point of time? She didn't dare ask. "I can only say it was good intention turned bad."

Cagalli's lips parted. She stayed silent for Samantha to continue.

"Alix was involved in the project G. Uncle and mom has foreseen that the war between ZAFT and EAF wasn't going to end as the war analysts expected it, thus this project. Alix is talented in this area, so that's where she comes in."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Cagalli sounded hurt, and Samantha thought that was the last thing she needed her to feel about Alix now.

"She didn't tell me either." Samantha lied. "I only found out when I went through her stuff one day."

'_Liar, liar, big liar you are, Samantha Whitley. Samantha the Great Liar is just the perfect name for you.'_

Of course, she knew. She knew everything right from the start. But she feigned ignorance, even in front of Alix. She could still remember she went as far as ignoring Alix for two whole weeks for not telling when it was her own curiosity of the project progression that she had to sneak around Alix from time to time. And that time when she was caught skimming through the data by Alix was because she thought Alix had fallen asleep when in fact she was not.

Cagalli looked up, surprised. For Alix to keep this even from Samantha would only mean-

"It was a top military secret. Just look at how ZAFT and EAF reacted when it was somehow leaked." Samantha said. "So I can understand why she didn't tell me. Although she's our age, Alix is already a half-militant. It's an unbelievable fact no one can deny."

Cagalli nodded. In the short time Alix was added into their family, even though she was the most low-profiled member among the royal families, Alix had proved she was leader material. From her own Foundation to government matters, Alix Whitley had long became a household name in ORB's military that had far surpassed hers. It was this that made Cagalli admired, envy, or perhaps even jealous of the unassuming fourth princess of their country.

Cagalli mentally slapped herself for that. Great, just great! As if selfish wasn't enough, she now could add 'narrow-minded' into her character traits. Alix was her family, her friend, her soul mate, someone she could count on in times of need. Man! What a loser she was!

"What are you thinking now?" Samantha asked, watching her.

Casting a guilty glance at Samantha, Cagalli shook her head and directed her amber orbs to the sketch of Archangel in front of them, before she flipped the pages back, studying the mechanics as she flipped by. They looked scary, in any estimation. Heliopolis was destroyed by them, wasn't that so?

"Why did Alix come up with something so destructive?" Cagalli found herself asking.

"We would not plunder other nations, nor do we allow plundering by other nations. Neither do we tolerate plundering of other nations… why do you think we can arrogantly declare that despite the chaos around us?" Samantha countered.

Cagalli looked up from the sketchbook and stared at her.

"This…" Samantha took the sketchbook from her and showed it right at her face, "is why. This is the true color of the country of neutrality, the very reason why ZAFT and EAF would think twice before threatening us." Almost as an afterthought, Samantha added, "And for your information, we have been supplying their arsenals for the war. One can't simply bite the hand that feeds you."

Cagalli snorted. "I say _this_ is our true color! Neutrality huh… just what has father been doing?"

"We need the financial means to build up our defense." Samantha argued. "Where do you think we got the money from?" Cagalli wanted to retort but found no words to do so. Samantha sighed and concluded, "I can only say politics… is a profound area that you have to learn in times to come."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure she could run a country when she couldn't even run herself. "But what you just said still doesn't explain why the Gundams and Archangel were sold to EAF. You said they were meant for ORB, and then you contradict yourself by saying we supplied arsenals for the money, so, what's your point?"

Samantha pursed her lips in mild irritation. "As I said, they were meant for ORB. As to how the project got sidetracked, you should ask Uncle. He's the head of the country, he should know." _'I'm sorry for speaking against you, Uncle…'_

The fact was, Uzumi Nara Attha knew nothing about the project, thanks to her mother.

Cagalli twisted her lips and turned away. Samantha was right. As the leader of the country that wields latent power, her father couldn't shirk away the responsibility of not knowing such atrocity.

Samantha inwardly heaved a sign of relief at her successful attempt to draw Cagalli's attention away from her own mother.

"Well, the adults have their way of doing things." Samantha remarked, attempting to change the whole subject "So do we."

Cagalli quirked an eyebrow, knowing something was up in her sleeves. She did mention she has a plan, didn't she?

Samantha's eyes sparkled intently when she asked, "Have you heard of the Desert Dawn?"

"Desert Dawn?" Cagalli repeated, finding the name familiar.

Samantha nodded and told her all about Desert Dawn. When she was finished, it rendered Cagalli to stare at her with her mouth agape. She wasn't sure she heard Samantha correctly for the last part, that Desert Dawn was part of SA.

As far as she knew about the Whitley Foundation commonly known as the SA, they were simply an embodiment of ORB, an organization active in philanthropic activities. She never knew they participated in… in _huge_ matters like resisting ZAFT movement in Earth!

No wonder Alix always looked preoccupied!

"It took Alix quite a while to get them under our wing." Samantha recalled sadly.

"When did she…?" Cagalli trailed off, staring at the sketchbook in her hands. The page that fell before her eyes was Strike. The more she stared at it, the more she found it hard to believe the complex work actually came from the mind two years her junior. She always knew Alix had lofty inspirations, but she didn't know her inspirations were _this _lofty!

"Remember the time Alix had you accompany her to North Africa?" Samantha drawled, fidgeting with Chouchou who came buzzing around them that moment. "You two were gone for like… five months? And I was like... left out for 20 weeks?"

Cagalli's eyes widened. It was all coming back to her now. Yes, she remembered that episode. Alix was still in her dislike list then. When she invited her for the trip, the first thought she have was that the violet-haired interloper was trying to get close to her by planning some trip to some third-world country so that she could get her alone.

She went anyway, for she was bored stiff in the palace and it was rare for her father to agree to her getaways. Also, she wanted to see what ulterior motive (like killing and dumping her in some desolate places where her body could never be found) Alix was up to. Indeed, she had an imaginative mind due to spending too much time at the movies.

But, it turned out that Alix was nothing she supposed her to be in the first place. Instead, she showed her the world, the _real_ world. It was that trip that made her realize that the world does not revolve around the palace. It was that trip that made her realize that there was much to be done. It was that trip that she got to know better what her father and the ORB government had been doing. It was that trip that made her realize the responsibility she had to take in time to come. It was that trip that her hostility towards Alix ended, and that Samantha and her started talking again since their preschool days. Well, their communication then could have been considered as talking in some ways.

Most importantly, it was that trip that changed her perspective of life. Before that, what was considered important to her was that she could get her way with her father; she could get his attention. She wanted him to _look_ at her, for her father was always busy with government matters. But now, it was so much more than that.

All that aside, she didn't know that trip's purpose was getting Desert Dawn under SA's wing! Alix never mentioned anything like that during their stay. Come to think of it, she never asked her about the late night invites by them. She always excused herself claiming she was too tired when she was somehow intimated by those giants. Now, it finally dawned on her that they were actually negotiating with Alix!

Samantha gaped, incredulous, for Cagalli's expression reflected her thoughts. "Don't tell me you didn't know until now? Cagalli Yula Attha, what were you doing during that trip? Sightseeing?"

Cagalli ignored her sarcasm and defended, "Of course I know! It's just that... I find it amazing come to think of it."

Samantha shrugged. "I guess it is."

"Just how much has the Foundation expanded?" Cagalli questioned.

Samantha faked a smile; she wasn't in the mood to go into that now. "Well, the reason I called you here today is to tell you that I'll be joining them on the line."

Cagalli just stared at her, her question completely forgotten.

"And I want to know, are you with me?" Samantha asked. She got out of bed and fetched the notebook she left on the desk, pressed some buttons and angled it towards Cagalli.

"From what I have gathered, ZAFT already conquered this much of North Africa." Samantha gestured a huge area on the 3D map displayed by the notebook, making Cagalli couldn't help but feel grave about the situation. "And if I'm not wrong, they are expanding downwards until all important towns are captured."

"Why North Africa?" Cagalli asked.

"Because they are _poor_." Samantha stated as a matter of fact, cocking an eyebrow knowingly.

Cagalli got the hint. She now understood the contradictory action of ORB being the supplier of arsenals for the ongoing war.

"If we don't stop their aggressiveness now, they'll be occupying a part of Earth before we know it. From attacking countries to stealing mobile suits, ZAFT already crossed the line that ORB has been carefully treading. Ultimately, they will aim at us. It's time to fight back, Cagalli, now. It's time to put those ideals into action."

Cagalli frowned a little, not because of what Samantha said, but how she said it to her. It was the first time in many years since Samantha called her by her given name. If truth be told, it felt weird and she vastly preferred 'tomboy' from her.

That aside, she found herself agreeing with Samantha's point of view. The officials and Emirs were always making everything sound and look nice in front of her without really showing any proof to what they claimed. Even her father never really sat down with her to talk about these things – all because she was _the_ princess who needed to be protected. And she was sick of it!

It was time to prove her worth.

"What about EAF? Didn't they know about this? Didn't they help?" Cagalli asked, feeling actually excited about her first venture.

Samantha sighed, "As you know, EAF, unlike ZAFT, is made up of many nations. Many nations mean many opinions. By the time they reach a unanimous decision, Africa would be lost. They are fighting amongst themselves as we speak, which is exactly why victory couldn't be claimed as expected."

Cagalli nodded, and Samantha went on explaining the five Ws and one H of her plan. When she was finished, Cagalli was impressed. "You've got everything mapped out I must day." Cagalli commented.

"Of course." Samantha replied proudly. "I am _the_ Samantha Whitley."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. _'The leopard never changes his spots…'_ "Yeah, yeah, yeah…"

"You know we might not make it back, do you, tomboy?"

"I'm not a bimbo like you."

Samantha smirked. "So what say you?"

"Let's do it."

**+Destiny Child+**

Kira was roaming down the hallway of the ship in question, brooding over the encounter with the Jin when an exclaim caught his attention.

"I don't want to!"

"Flay!" was what he heard next. From the voice, it sounded like Miriallia. As he walked towards the source of commotion, which was in the cafeteria, he caught sight of Kuzzey, Flay and Miriallia.

"I said I don't want to!" Flay insisted.

"Why?" Miriallia argued. The girls seemed to be locked in some kind of an argument.

"What's going on?" He probed, turning to Kuzzey, since he was nearest to him.

Kuzzey sighed, "It's about that girl's meal… Milly told Flay to bring it to her, but Flay refused." He then turned to look at Kira helplessly. "That's what they're arguing right now."

Ignoring Kuzzey, Flay continued to stay firm in her stand. "I don't want to. You're telling me to go where a Coordinator is. It's scary."

Kira frowned at her words. Miriallia, noticing how Flay's words pricked him, immediately tried to stop her. "Flay!"

Flay looked up, noticing Kira's presence then. "Well, except Kira of course… I know that." Then the pink-haired Coordinator popped up in her mind, and she couldn't help but felt skeptical towards her. Turning to Miriallia, she argued, "But isn't that girl a ZAFT? Coordinators aren't only smart; they have really good physical traits too. What am I going to do if something happens?" She then turned to the boys for support. "Right?"

Kira was not sure how to reply, and neither did Kuzzey.

Miriallia frowned, "Flay!"

"But it doesn't look like that girl will suddenly jump at you or anything…" Kuzzey said in the end.

"How do you know that?" Flay argued. "It's difficult to judge a Coordinator's ability just by looking. What am I going to do if she's super strong?"

"Ah... who is super strong?" All of them turned at the interjected voice. To their dismay, it was the pink-haired Coordinator.

Judging from their surprised expressions, Lacus thought she had startled them. "I didn't mean to startle all of you, but I was thirsty. And please don't laugh when you hear this… but I'm also pretty hungry now." She then glanced around, surmising it was the ship's kitchen. "Is this the kitchen? It'd be nice to have something to eat right now."

"Wait a minute..." Kira said, thinking something was not quite right.

"Isn't your door locked?" Kuzzey interjected, which was what Kira was thinking.

Flay cupped her chin and stared at Lacus unbelievably as she faltered a step. "Oh God… why is a ZAFT waltzing around here like it's nothing…?"

"I did not sneak out of my room." Lacus clarified. "I made sure I could come out of my room by asking 'is it okay to go outside' three times from inside." Then she thought to correct what she accidentally overheard. "Also, I'm not a ZAFT. ZAFT is the name of the military. The formal name is Zodiac Alliance of Freedom-"

"Whatever!" Flay snapped. "You're all the same! Coordinators!"

Unlike Flay, Lacus remained surprisingly serene despite the obvious antagonism against her. "It's not the same. I'm definitely a Coordinator but I'm not a soldier." She then gave Flay an once-over, noticing she wasn't wearing a uniform like the others. "You're not a soldier either, right? Then you and I are the same." She stretched her hand, thinking they could become friends. "Sorry for the late introduction. I'm-"

"Wait! No! Stop it!" Flay snapped, disgusted by her show of friendliness. Who did she think she was, putting her along the same line as her? She rolled her eyes at the outstretched hand. "Don't make me laugh! Why do I have to shake hands with your kind? You're only a mere Coordinator! Don't go acting kind to me!"

Flay's last words shocked everyone, especially Kira. Unable to hear any more of it any longer, he took the tray and requested Lacus to go along with him.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Flay, are you a Blue Cosmos?" Kuzzey asked after Kira left with Lacus.

"No!" Flay snapped.

Miriallia sighed and threw a disturbed glance at Flay, who continued to argue her stand.

"But what those people are saying isn't wrong either. What kind of humans manipulates genes like it's nothing? People that disrupt nature should not even exist." She then looked up, knowing Kuzzey and Miriallia agreed with her, though they were not saying it out. "Isn't it true that everyone thinks this way?"

Kuzzey and Miriallia remained quiet despite the uncertainties in their minds.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Would I cause trouble if I were to leave this room again?" Lacus asked when they reached her room.

Kira set the tray on the table before turning to look at her. He did not forget to offer a soft smile to her to alleviate the cruel fact as he said, "Yes, it seems so."

Lacus sighed, and dropped herself to the seat across Kira. "It gets boring in here, being alone. I'd like to chat with everyone outside."

Kira thought she'd only get herself in more trouble were she to leave her room again. He decided to explain to her, seeing that she was still ignorant of her circumstances. "This is an Earth military ship so there are people out there… well, how do you put it... don't like Coordinators, and we're technically enemies as well."

Lacus looked at Kira as he zoned out, thinking he was pretty different from the rest. At least he was not as anti-Coordinator as the others were. "I'm sorry to hear that, but you're very kind. Thank you."

Kira turned to look at her then, and couldn't seem to hide the fact from her. "I'm… I'm a Coordinator too."

"I see." Lacus replied, feeling he was somewhat ashamed of being what he was, and decided to cheer him up. "But your kindness doesn't come from being a Coordinator, right?"

Kira was taken aback by her words. It was odd, but her words comforted him.

"Can you tell me your name?" Lacus probed, which he hadn't expected she would want to know.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he stuttered out his name. "K.. Kira. Kira… Yamato."

"I see. Thank you, Kira-sama."

Kira merely nodded, and couldn't help but be affected by the affable smile on her guiltless face.

**+Destiny Child+**

Pal had claimed positive news.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Murrue asked, feeling suddenly hopeful of their current disheartening situation as she floated to Pal to look at the CIC screen.

"There's no mistake about it." Pal replied, hitting the keyboard as he confirmed the signals intercepting their radio. "This is the Earth's 8th Amanda Fleet's code pulse."

Natarle just stepped into the bridge when she overheard the report. Excited, she rushed towards them. "Can you track its location?"

"I'm doing that as we speak." Pal replied, getting equally excited as he hurried to decode the code pulse. "It's being decoded!" He informed as they watched the screen's radio signals fluctuated.

"This... 8th Amanda's Fleet…Montgomery... Archangel…. answer."

Though the voice from the radio was somehow distorted, Murrue recognized it all the same. "It's Admiral Halberton's Fleet!" Everyone was thrilled to hear that, for finally, after all that had happened, help was coming.

**+Destiny Child+**

As the civilians chatted about the positive news brought about by the crew of Archangel in the lounge, Sai dragged Flay to a side to inform her that her Father was in the ship that was coming to escort them.

Of course, Flay was elated. "Eh? Papa is coming?"

Sai nodded, smiling at Flay's beaming face. "Yes. He's on board with the escorting fleet."

Flay clasped her hands together in excitement. "Really?"

"He probably didn't know you were here, but we did send out the civilian roster so…" Sai trailed off, his smile intact as he watched how Flay was affected by the positive news.

"Papa is…" Flay mumbled as she thought of her Father. He must have come for her! "Thank goodness!"

"I'm happy for you." Sai replied, relieved at the same time that everything was going to be over.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Sorry I was late!" Kira called out the apology as he floated towards Murdock on the hangar.

Had Sai not reminded him, he would have forgotten he was needed at the hangar, for he was too caught up with his own thoughts with the news of help coming their way flooding Archangel.

"Uh. I've changed the geometry settings. Can you verify it?" Murdock replied.

"Okay."

Both of them looked up at Strike then.

"Well, there's probably no reason for this thing to be out again but just to be on the safe side, maintenance mustn't be neglected."

Kira kept his violet eyes on the Gundam, and was disturbingly glad that everything was ending soon.

**+Destiny Child+**

Rau just stepped out of his bathroom when his screen blinked for his attention. He pressed the accept button and the CIC informed he had on hold a call from the Headquarters for him. He smirked when he realized it was Gilbert Dullindal on the line.

"I'll answer it here." He said, and the CIC immediately connected the call to his cabin.

"Hey there." Gilbert greeted a split second later, his face appearing on the screen.

"Hi." He greeted back with his trademark smirk, expecting the DNA specialist would call on him.

"It's been a while." Gilbert said, smirking back. "How are you, my friend?"

"Good." He replied. He patiently waited for this acquaintance of his to pop _the _question as he drummed his fingers on the desk.

Gilbert was hesitating as he shook his head. "Well, it is a little out of the blue… me calling on you like this…but I was wondering on one of the medical reports submitted by the Vesalius's medics."

He merely cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Which one?"

Gilbert let out a chuckle, "Come on, Rau. You know which report I am talking about. It's unbelievable, really. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Why didn't you tell me?"

He snorted. "Well, you know now."

"Where did you hide her?" Gilbert asked straightforwardly then. "I know you didn't bring her back to PLANT. And I bet you haven't told President Zala about it."

"Well, I shall let you have the honor of giving this miraculous news to him." Rau replied indifferently, purposely bypassing the first question.

But Gilbert did not let up. "Well, he would want to know where his daughter is."

Rau smirked, "Just tell him what you know and I'll handle the rest."

Gilbert wanted to retort, but Rau intercepted him by receiving the page for him from the bridge.

"What is it?"

"Commander, we need you here." Fredrik answered with a sense of urgency. "We found something."

**+Destiny Child+**

"What is it?" Rau asked the moment he reached the bridge. He smirked when he saw the findings on the screen.

Fredrik, knowing Rau understood the results shown on the screen, said straightforwardly, "We're anticipating it might be a trap but I'm wondering what they are doing in a place like that…"

Rau gave it a thought and floated to their 3D stratagem to analyze the situation. "If that ship is headed for their Headquarters on the Moon from Artemis, what would they do?"

Fredrik came up beside him, giving his question a thought. "They're definitely there for supplies… or perhaps they're waiting for a ship to escort them…"

Rau didn't think of Fredrik's latter answer. Come to think of it, it also made sense. "They don't know our current position, right? Don't lose them. Pursue with vigilance."

Fredrik thought Rau would want Gamof to do that, since… "With our ship? But-"

Rau sighed; he knew what his Captain was thinking. But he was going to have his way. "We will of course investigate Lacus Clyne's incident as well. However, we can't lose that ship because of one girl. I don't want to be a laughing stock for the historians of the future."

Fredrik decided to keep his say even though he felt finding Lacus Clyne should be their primary mission, given that Gamof was already pursuing the ship.

**+Destiny Child+**

'_Lacus…'_ Athrun thought as he floated in the vacuity of the rest room of Vesalius's hangar. _'Kira…'_

He snapped his thoughts when he heard the page.

"Calling for pilots. Please report to the bridge now. I repeat. Calling for pilots. Please report to the bridge now."

He sighed, and headed for the bridge after that.

**+Destiny Child+**

"This is presumably the ship's course." Fredrik begun when all pilots were present.

"The stipulated time for meeting the forces of Laconi and Volt will be delayed." Rau interjected, directing his eyes at Athrun. The two squads were supposed to be under Athrun's command to search for his lost fiancée. But judging from the opportunity now, it seemed that they would have to put aside the pink princess for a while. "If that ship is providing supplies for the legged ship, then we would have to bring it down."

Athrun frowned. He thought what Rau was saying now contradicted what he said in front of his father. "We? I thought-"

"We are soldiers, Athrun." Rau argued, knowing what his subordinate was thinking. "Even when we have the mission of finding Lacus Clyne on hand…"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Haro!"

Lacus was bored. As Haro rolled itself to and fro in front of her on the table, Lacus couldn't help but wonder at the news told to her.

"It's a problem. Where could we be heading to?"


	19. The Fading Lights

**Chapter 19: The Fading Lights**

Hope you like the story so far!

As you might have realized from the title of this chapter, **Chapter 19 will be the happenings of the entire episode 9 of Gundam Seed**.

As I find it superfluous to write out the whole episode showing the battle of the two best friends, which I think you guys will find it boring as well to read what you've watched already, I've decided to drop this little note here. I'm not sure whether I could add a link of the episode summary since I didn't ask permission so please re-watch episode 9 if necessary to catch on to Chapter 20.

Also, like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to Tamago-chan, bladebreakers, choclatbandit, Cici Linne, AceRapter and many others who has hit my story, a really big THANK YOU for following my story so far:) Of course, last but not least, Lady Annora! for being my beta reader/editor of 'Destiny Child'! Thank you! (muah!)

Till then, adios!

Love,

RedAngel06


	20. Uncertainties

**A/N : Hi guys!!:) Sorry I was MIA for sooo long! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I guess you need to read back some of the chapters for recap as I basically suck at summaries…And Princesa de la Luna, I'm sorry you had to send me 3 'pls update' reviews, I hope all of you will like Chapter 20!! But since it has been so long, I guess some of you had forgotten about this story and move on but I hope you will still drop me a review! *winks* And thanks Tassia for being my beta reader! Hee..sorry too, that I took so long to post this when you have beta-read it for me ages ago.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Uncertainties**

"This is EAF's Archangel! We have onboard our ship, the daughter of PLANT Chairman, Siegel Clyne, _Lacus Clyne_ under our custody. We found her on a lifesaving boat and have decided to keep her under custody from then. But from now onwards, if our ship is still receiving attacks, we will assume that ZAFT will forgo the protection of Lacus Clyne and we will take this matter into our own hands. Over."

**+Destiny Child+**

Every ZAFT personnel involved in the battle was shocked to know that Lacus was in Archangel's hands.

"Yes! All are to cease combat operations at once!" Fredrik confirmed the order in frustration to the squads. "Didn't you hear the broadcast just now?"

Rau stared at the screen of Vesalius clearing showing the stances of the two sides. They were _this_ close in bringing Archangel down and he wasn't about to let Lacus to get into his way. He tipped his chin, already considering the next step. _'We might just have to use her then…'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"Despicable!" Athrun spat at Kira over the radio. "Using the civilian you saved as a hostage, and working hand in hand with these scums, is this your sense of justice, Kira?"

Honestly, Kira didn't have a clue how things turned out this way. "Athrun…"

"I'll save her." Athrun said with clenched jaws. "Definitely."

Then, his childhood friend was gone.

**+Destiny Child+**

While Archangel was thinking of ways to escape, Vesalius was thinking of ways to get Lacus back.

"Even if we were to continue pursuing that ship, as long as Lacus-sama is in their hands, it would be difficult for us to do anything." Fredrik reasoned in concern.

"And they are planning to meet up with their Moon's forces…" Rau chipped in, and glanced at Athrun from the corners of his eyes.

His indigo-haired subordinate was hanging his head low.

Rau turned away and smirked. How perfect things have turned out. He surmised Gilbert might have taken some sort of action now to retrieve Alix but he wasn't about to let him get his way.

No.

Correction.

It is _destiny_ that wasn't about to let Gilbert Dullindal get his way. What he did is merely follow the flow of destiny. And Athrun Zala will be the trigger for it; he would make sure of that.

"Even so, we can't allow Lacus-sama to go with them." Fredrik argued, oblivious to Rau's thoughts as he misinterpreted Rau's thoughtful expression to be worry for the pink princess.

"Where is Gamof now?" Rau asked, faking a concerned expression. Since things had come to this, he wanted to rule out all possibilities of saving Lacus except using _her_. "How long before they can catch up with us?"

"It would take seven hours." Fredrik reported.

"That means their side will meet up before we can take any action on our side." Rau concluded, faking irritation. "How tricky this situation has become…" He gave a defeated sigh, when in truth he was hoping the indigo-haired Coordinator would catch on his cue. _'Say it, Athrun. Say you'll be the one to send your adorable little sister to your mother.'_

Athrun regarded his two superiors as he watched the exchange between them. He had already thought of a way, and was feeling a little surprised actually, that neither of his superiors had mentioned it. He hastily dismissed it due to their overwhelming concern for Archangel's backup forces from their Moon headquarters. Anyhow, he thought he should voice out the overlooked option to them. It should work pretty well anyway. At the very least, it would be good for the girls.

"I have a suggestion."

The two heads turned their attention to him.

"What is it?" Rau probed, already surmising what Athrun is going to suggest, and had to suppress his amusement with a concerned frown. _'I wonder how your father will deal with you when he learns that you ruined the reunion he has yearn for so much over the years…would he throttle you personally…? Ha.'_

"We could exchange Alix Whitley with Lacus."

Fredrik's eyes widened in realization. Why, he was so worried for Lacus Clyne that he had forgotten that they had Alix Whitley with them! "Alix Whitley! How could I forget about her…?" Without hesitation, he gave his consent. "I agree! There's no way we could get Lacus-sama back otherwise."

Fredrik's approval obtained, Athrun turned his green eyes for Rau's.

Rau pretended to mull the option for a moment. _'If you say so, oni-san.'_ "Fine. I'll leave it to you, Athrun."

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix was jerked awake by the announcement.

"Attention all crew. The ship is going to step up the acceleration. Please take care against the effect. Repeating. Attention all crew. The ship is going to step up the acceleration. Please take care against the effect."

She felt the effect immediately, and clasped the bed sheet as she felt herself drifting away from the bed. Eyes still bleary from her doze, Alix sat up on bed and rubbed the sleepiness away from her eyes. She reckoned she must have fallen asleep thinking about Shinn, and she was still thinking about him until a bag slid out from under the bed across her.

She reached for it instinctively, widening her eyes in mild curiosity when she saw an 'Athrun' tag with it.

'_It must be Zala-kun's belongings inside.'_

Knowing better than to intrude on his privacy, Alix tried to slide the luggage back under his bed when the worst case scenario happened. The fastener of the bag snapped opened against the friction of her push and the rim of the bed. Books and clothes burst right at her face before she could help it. She cursed her clumsiness as she retrieved the items one by one, and her face reddened intensely at one point when she had to catch his briefs in midair.

A photo album caught her eyes then.

She dared a peek, since the album was already opened. An elegant portrait of a very beautiful woman stared back at her. On the space beside the picture scrawled the words 'Presenting my dearest mother, the one and only Lenore Zala!'

Beside the words were hand-drawn smiley faces.

Alix could tell from the handwriting, as well as the smiley faces, that Athrun was very close to his mother. The thought brought a heartwarming smile to her face as she brushed her hand across the photo, deciding his mother must be a virtuous woman. She could see the kindness radiating from the emerald eyes that mirrored Athrun's. For a moment, she wished _her_ mother would be like Lenore Zala.

A mother who could talk anything under the sun with her, a mother who could share her secrets. A mother she could run to whenever she was having a bad day, a mother she could whine to. A mother who would assure everything would turn out fine when everything was going terribly wrong.

A mother who was simply… _there _for her.

For that, she wondered about her own parents. Gladys never talked about their father, and Samantha unlike herself, didn't seem to be interested in him either. Gladys would always change the subject whenever she tried to probe about their father. The only thing that both she and Samantha knew about their father was that he died soon after both of them were born. As for Gladys, well let's just say her mother wasn't a typical mother who would pay much attention to the desires of her daughters, which explained how she and Samantha ended up so close with each other. An influential figure to most, Gladys's no-nonsense stern attitude often killed her own curiosity to pop _the _question – Why? Why was she made a Coordinator? Why wasn't she born a Natural like Samantha?

The matter was not much of an issue when she was in ORB, but now that she ended up in ZAFT's hands and had witnessed the implicit conflicts between the two types of humans, every little complication started to surface.

As Alix brushed away this issue to the back of her mind, her hand unwittingly flipped the page.

A picturesque family of three was next. A younger Athrun held a picture-perfect smile as he stood smartly with his hands clasped behind his back. His parents were seated in front of him; his father, a stern-looking patrician, was seated with his legs slightly braced apart and his hands on his lap. Alix was not sure how she got the feeling, but as imperceptible as his smile looked, she thought he was a man who loved his family very much.

For a moment, she imagined having a father like him.

She imagined him to be an overprotective father who would scrutinize every boy that came close to her. She chuckled at the thought of Shinn undergoing his overbearing interrogation. It would be fun to watch her cute boyfriend struggling through the grilling. Alix had to slap her face to rid herself of the foolish thoughts. She bit back her smile as it dawned on her the familiarity she felt for Athrun's father. She saw him before. On the national plasma screen in ORB that is. Come to think of it, she saw Athrun too. Alix could not remember the details but she was out on a date with Shinn then.

Athrun's father was the President of the National Defense Committee of ZAFT.

Was it because of this reason that resulted in Athrun's enmity against the Naturals? She could still remember his chilled words when she probed him for the reason. "_Murderers don't deserve to live."_

Shaking her head to clear the pair of cold eyes that surfaced in her mind, Alix shifted her gaze to his mother. She couldn't help it. The more she looked at her, the more she liked her. Her hands were folded demurely in her laps with an angelic smile spreading across her flawless face. The words scrawled below the family picture were 'A DAY to remember!'

Alix understood why.

Given the profession of his father, occasions the family could get together like this must be rare. She looked at the indigo-haired son standing proudly behind his parents. From his expression of delight, Alix could tell Athrun cherished the moment very much. For a moment, Alix wondered if having a brother would be like him.

Cool… yet caring.

A brother who would always look out for her.

Alix had to slap her herself again to stop the absurd thoughts. _'What a shameless interloper I am…'_

Something shimmering in midair turned her attention.

She thought _it_ was hers and glanced at her own bag. Her bag was zipped perfectly close.

Wondering how it slipped out of her bag, Alix grabbed the necklace floating in midair and reached for her bag. Determined to keep it away carefully this time, she got a surprise when she zipped opened the section of her bag where she kept her necklace.

Inside nestled a necklace that looked similar to the one she held in her hands. Baffled, she dug for the necklace in her bag and held it at eye level together with the one she already clasped in her hands.

The necklaces looked exactly the same!

Both were silver necklaces with an intricate-designed 'AZ' pendant that was adorned with crushed diamonds. Both pendants were hollow on one side. As Alix tried to figure out the differences between the two, she thought the hollow side of the two pendants should click. When it _really_ could, Alix was left gaping at the mystified discovery in her hands.

'_Okay… mine should have my name on it…'_

She brought the attached pendants closer and flipped it to one side. The name read "A... thrun?" She flipped it to the other side and it read 'Alix.'

The other necklace belonged to Athrun? How come he possessed a necklace similar to hers? What was the connection?

"Alix?"

She snapped out of her engrossed state of mind when she heard the polite knock on her door.

"Alix?" the voice tried again.

It was Nicol.

"Coming!" She called out, and hastily stuffed the necklaces in her bag and cleared the rest of Athrun's belongings as fast as possible. She checked herself, before she opened the door, and offered a casual smile at Nicol standing at her doorway with a tray of food in his hands.

"I thought you might be hungry." Nicol said sheepishly. He thought it would be better if he brought the food to her than to have her inviting hostile stares at the kitchen, especially now that Yzak and Dearka were there too.

Alix was actually feeling a little hungry now, and she thought that was kind of him. "Thank you." She took over the tray as Nicol took his share of food. Alix noticed that. "You are eating alone?"

Because he was too lazy to go back to the kitchen again, Nicol thought he might as well brought his share along as well. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, yes."

Alix thought he could provide some answers to her nagging questions in her mind right now. "You wanna eat together?"

Nicol was not prepared for the invitation, but nonetheless agreed. He shrugged, "Ah, sure."

But he thought it was weird when Alix appeared hesitant in letting him into her cabin.

Alix bit her lip; she couldn't allow Nicol to see the clutter in the cabin now. "Why don't we eat in your cabin? Mine is uh… kind of messy right now."

To her relief, Nicol obliged.

Except for the papers sprawling all over the desk, Nicol's cabin was as clean as hers. On a closer look, Alix realized the papers were scores. Nicol hastily cleared it away, "Seems like mine wasn't any better than yours. Sorry."

Alix merely shrugged with a smile, noticing the portable electric piano on his bed, in which he left the switch on. "I should be the one saying sorry instead. I seem to be imposing on you."

Nicol hastily waved a dismissive hand as he gestured her to take a seat before he took his. "Oh no, you're not. I was quite finished with it anyway."

"How often do you play?" Alix asked, taking a bite of her bread.

"Given our schedule now, not much." Nicol replied, munching his bread.

Alix glanced at the pieces Nicol left stacked on his bed. Mina-ne-chan taught her a thing or two before, but she just didn't have the time to explore further. She thought it would be interesting if Nicol could play a piece for her now, for she always enjoyed musical entertainment. Furthermore, from what she heard from Michelle, Nicol played very well. "Can I hear it?"

Nicol was taking a sip of water when he heard that. Of course, he hadn't expected that request, and nearly choked on that. "Ehh?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Alix hastily added as she misinterpreted Nicol's reaction.

"Oh… I didn't expect you to... want to hear it…" Nicol explained, and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Because Yzak always complained-"

"That guy complains about _everything_." Alix interjected as she popped a couple of French fries into her mouth.

It was weird.

The mere mention of the Coordinator barbarian could strike a nerve within her. Perhaps it was because he punched her, Alix reckoned, that she was having this prejudice against the silver-haired Coordinator. Well, his manners were another. Then you have his conceited attitude, and…

"Yzak isn't really as bad as he seems if you got to know him better." Nicol commented with a shrug.

Alix didn't remark on it, and merely forced a smile. Nicol took that as a cue not to mention anything more about his hot-headed comrade. It was obvious Alix and Yzak had mutual dislike for each other, though the latter was more expressive of his aversion. He sighed. He could only blame their dislike for each other due to the circumstances they first met.

Alix pursed her lips. Coordinator barbarian aside, she thought the one she was interested in knowing more about was...

"So how about Athrun?" She asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Nicol took a bite of his chicken cutlet as he replied, "What about him?"

"Did he… complain?"

Nicol gave it a thought. "Now that I think about it, I don't believe he did."

"So he liked it?"

Nicol was not sure. "I don't know. He didn't say anything."

"Was he always like this? You know, being quiet and all…"

Nicol took another bite of his chicken cutlet as he replied, "Athrun is the reserved one in our group. He seldom talks about anything." Then it struck him. Alix seemed to be interested in his indigo-haired comrade. "Why?"

Alix said the first thing that came into her mind. "I wanted to thank him for transfusing his blood to me." One of Vesalius's medics had told her that she could have died from blood loss had not Athrun's quick decision to donate his blood when they realized they had a shortage of her blood type, which was O. "But he seems rather… hmm... aloof."

"Oh... He's pretty okay actually." Nicol said.

"So… how you guys know each other?"

"We've know each other since military school." Nicol said as a matter of fact. "But it was when we were assigned to Creuset team that we really got to know each other."

Alix nodded. "I see."

Much to her relief, Nicol started talking about his comrades.

"So Athrun was the only son?" Alix asked in the end.

If Nicol found her curiosity in Athrun suspicious, he didn't ask. Alix had been directing questions about Athrun more than any of the others, even more than Rusty. He nodded at Alix's question.

"I see." Alix replied simply, glancing at the photo frame placed at his bedside.

It was a group photo of seven that suggested they just graduated from the military school. Nicol was smiling delightfully with his pose. She focused on the indigo-haired member who stood right to the right. He merely held an obliging smile with his certificate in his hands.

"So what about you? Are you an only child?" Nicol asked. It struck him as he asked the question. Alix was a Coordinator. From what he knew, the eminent Gladys Whitley was a Natural…

The question brought a small smile to Alix's face as she thought of her loveable sister, Samantha. "I have a sister. What about you?"

Nicol smiled, thinking not to intrude what she was hiding for now. "I'm an only child too."

"I see." Alix said plainly.

They shared a moment of silence, and from her downcast gaze, Nicol thought Alix looked pretty preoccupied with her thoughts. It was like she was trying to figure out something confusing in her mind.

The more Alix thought about the necklaces, the more doubts she had. She glanced at the group photo again. And an uneasy feeling rose within her heart. "Nicol."

Nicol straightened his shoulders at that. Alix's expression had suddenly turned from casual to somber.

"Yes?" He answered with a mild frown. He noticed his group photo had somehow made Alix ill at ease, for she kept darting disturbed glances at his memory of their graduation at his bedside.

"Why did you join the military?" Alix asked the question slowly, carefully.

Nicol raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that question from her. For a moment, he was rendered speechless. He placed his fork and knife down, pursing his lips as he tried to give it as serious as it should be. "Well, I guess I ought to do something regarding the chaos the Bloody Valentine created."

Alix pondered his answer for a while. "Do you hate the Naturals then?"

"Hmm…" Nicol leaned forward and perched his chin on his crossed fingers. "Yes and no."

Alix tilted her head slightly in question. She had expected an absolute yes from him.

From the way Alix looked at him, Nicol thought he should continue. "Yes because the Naturals have crossed the line."

Alix nodded. She understood what Nicol was trying to say; Junius Seven.

"And no because I think the Coordinators aren't any better."

Alix quirked an eyebrow in question.

Nicol smiled. "It's not like the Coordinators won't cross the line. It just happened we were slower."

It took a moment for Alix to digest his black sense of humor. She smiled and shook her head when it dawned on her. As much as she wanted to, it was getting harder and harder to dislike Nicol Amalfi. In fact, Alix found it surprising that Nicol remained impervious despite having radical team members like _you-know-who_. She thought of Athrun that moment. She wondered if he was as impervious as Nicol. But on second thought, when she thought of his chilled words and eyes…

"Then how about Zala-kun? Does he… hate the Naturals?"

Nicol gave it a thought. Athrun always maintained a distant attitude to them, to him. It was hard to tell what his reticent comrade was thinking most of the time. Sometimes he saw a flash of hatred in his emerald eyes. Sometimes it was confusion. Honestly, he doesn't have a clue. "Perhaps."

Alix don't know why she was upset with Nicol's answer. She had wished Nicol would prove her thoughts wrong, that Athrun's point of view on the Naturals was as moderate as his. But from Nicol's tentative answer as well as Athrun's words to her, _"Murderers don't deserve to live."_ it seemed that her impression of Athrun was correct.

He hated the Naturals.

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence after that, but before Nicol took the last bite of his chicken cutlet, he got a surprise from her.

"The gist to piloting Blitz lies in the name itself."

His fork froze in midair. _'Is she trying to tell me what she isn't supposed to tell me?'_ For a moment, Nicol just stared at her.

Alix inclined her head. She couldn't help it even though she knew they belonged to two different sides. As she observed Nicol through their interactions, she realized he was not someone she would like to hate, and though she would never openly admit, she thought Nicol was the perfect pilot for Blitz, someone she'd like to entrust this unit to.

"I'm sorry if you feel that I'm acting weird." Alix explained. "But I thought I should let you know even though... even though we're technically enemies."

The _last _word made him frown. "Alix."

It was Alix's turn to straighten her shoulders at Nicol's change of expression from shocked to somber.

"Yes?" She answered cautiously.

"Why did you side the Naturals?"

Alix widened her eyes in surprise. Her guard immediately went up. Perhaps it was only her, but from the way Nicol asked the question, it was like he knew what she genetically was. She decided to feign ignorance. "Eh?"

"I overheard your conversation with Michelle at the infirmary." Nicol admitted. It was harder and harder for him to guard his words against Alix Whitley. As he observed her through their interactions, he realized she was not someone he would like to hate, but like Michelle, he couldn't understand why someone as gentle as her would want betray her own kind.

Alix leaned back on her chair, at loss of what to say for a moment as worry after worry flooded her mind. "Who else knows?"

From the disturbed expression on her face, Nicol thought she felt ashamed of being _what_ she was. He couldn't blame her either. Her adoptive mother was a Natural, and a radical Natural at that. However, he couldn't help but be surprised that Alix had remained impervious despite having _those_ Naturals around her. For a moment, he was actually worried she was being used. "I was alone."

Silence engulfed them and Nicol thought it was rude of him to probe further. As much as he was curious, he thought he should respect Alix. "I'm sor-"

"It was never my intention." Alix interjected, her head inclined. She was trembling, Nicol noticed. He could see how much she was struggling from his question. He remained silent for her to continue, and when Alix looked up with her misty eyes, Nicol was instantly remorseful he brought up the topic that has been bothering him.

"I never wanted to join the war. ORB too." Alix stated firmly as she fought back the tears. She wanted to pour out everything that she kept bottled up within her, but she knew she couldn't. "They were meant for ORB's defense." She managed in the end.

"They were sold to the Earth Alliance." Nicol stated, though he thought he should change the subject already. He could see how the subject was upsetting her. "The information we received couldn't be wrong."

"The later stages just… went beyond my control." Alix said, inclining her head again. That was all she could reveal. She lifted her head however, when a tissue appeared right before her. It was then she realized her tears had fallen.

"I'm sorry." Nicol said. Alix shook her head and hastily took the tissue to dab away the tears.

They reverted back to silence for a while, before Nicol thoughtfully changed the subject to the love of his life – music. When he got to know of her basic knowledge in piano, he urged her to play. He had a funny expression on his face after she reluctantly finished playing the nursery rhyme of 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'. She thought she must have embarrassed herself in front of the expert. God! She even sang along! She hastily explained that she had learned the playing of piano due to the fact that she visits the orphans under the care of the SA Foundation from time to time, and singing was the easiest and fastest way to bond with the kids. They continued their chat filled with occasional chuckles until Nicol finally decided to play for her.

Alix rested her head on her palms as she watched his fingers weave its magic.

It was… beautiful.

**+Destiny Child+**

Dearka let out a lazy snort as he heard the melodic tune traveling down the hallway of their bunks. "There that fellow goes again…" He doesn't mind it though, as he saw it as entertainment after a heavy dinner.

Hands shoved in the pockets of his uniform, Yzak simply snorted beside him. The two continued their way to their cabin in silence. Yzak noticed _it_ the moment they reached their cabin.

The door to Athrun's cabin was left open.

Without a second thought, he barged inside.

Dearka was about to step inside their own cabin when he realized what Yzak was doing. He tried to stop him, but Yzak was faster. His fractious friend already came storming out from Athrun's cabin by the time he reached the doorstep.

"The Natural Brat's gone!" Yzak snarled.

"Huh?" Dearka merely quirked an eyebrow and thought that was the most absurd thing he ever heard. This was Gamof, for goodness sake. No one could have gone missing without the knowledge of the officers on duty. Besides, they were in space. How was it possible for a girl with no military experience to escape? Although he found it weird that neither their Commander nor their Captain ordered anyone to watch their Natural guest.

"I said the Natural Brat's gone!" Yzak repeated in sheer frustration. Damn! He should have expected she would try to escape! He should have guarded her, restricted her movements! She was a Natural after all!

Seeing the unconvinced look on Dearka, Yzak dragged him into Athrun's cabin and let the truth speak for itself. "Look!"

Nothing suspicious caught Dearka's brown eyes, except Athrun's half-opened bag. He didn't see that as an evidence of her getaway though. He saw it as evil curiosity. In any case, the curiosity trait was in everyone, right? Besides, she didn't take her bag along with her. It was beside Athrun's luggage. "Maybe she went out of her room for a breather."

"Perhaps Nicol is with her." He added almost an afterthought. "That fellow took some food to her, remember?"

"We heard him down the corridor, remember?" Yzak argued.

Then it struck them. Both of them turned to stare at the door opposite them at the same time. The music was still playing, which most probably suggested that Nicol was in his cabin all these while.

Yzak narrowed his suspicious eyes at Nicol's door. Though he had his answer, he still felt the need to ask. "What would you do if you heard someone playing the piano?"

"I'd leave him alone, since it sounded good anyway." Dearka answered as a matter of fact.

Yzak turned to glare at him with exasperation, before shoving him out of his way to Nicol's cabin. Dearka threw his hands up in faux frustration. "Hey, that was a sincere answer!"

Yzak ignored him. When he reached Nicol's cabin, he leaned furtively close to his door. There were definitely _two_ people inside. He wanted Dearka to hear it, but his blonde buddy already made his way to their own cabin as if it was not a big deal! Twisting his lips, he thought it was up to him now to stop this blatant behavior.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Nicol! Open your door!"

Alix's heart jumped at the sudden pounding of the door. She squeezed her eyes shut at the realization of who it was. Nicol stopped playing and turned to look at his door in surprise, then at Alix. With a sigh, he hurried to open his door. He impeded Yzak by elbowing him on the chest when his silver-haired Coordinator tried to barge in straight at Alix. "Yzak!"

Yzak ignored Nicol's protest and directed his condemned glare at Alix behind him. "What the hell are you doing in Nicol's bunk?"

Alix rolled her eyes at him and folded her arms. "None of your business."

"You-!"

"Yzak!" Nicol protested again. His initial efforts futile, this time, he tried to shield Alix with his body as Yzak kept advancing threatening steps to her.

"Are you seducing him?"

The allegation sounded so preposterous to Alix that she could only stare at him with her mouth agape.

"As long as I am around, don't eve-"

"Yzak!" Nicol intervened again, this time on a firmer tone. Yzak was carrying it too far. "Stop uttering nonsense like this!"

"You twe-!"

"Cut the crap honey, and come back to me!" Dearka interrupted, shouting from his cabin in quite a seductive way.

The atmosphere in Nicol's cabin immediately felt somberly awkward. Yzak's jaws dropped. He was the most surprised out of the three by Dearka's impromptu. And somehow, the look of revulsion on Alix's face bothered him.

What the hell was Dearka doing, blurting misleading sentences like this?

Nicol turned to look at Alix, saw her expression, and held up his hands as he hastened to explain, "They are not really what you thi-"

"Come on, baby! I can't wait any longer!" Dearka interrupted again.

It was enough, Alix decided as she shook her head. She couldn't hear any of this any more. It was making her sick. She never believed Samantha when she claimed _it_ was possible between men, but now, as the truth presented itself…

Suddenly she felt this desperate need to get out of here, away from the Coordinator barbarian. She hastily excused herself and dashed past Nicol and Yzak before both guys could say anything. Confounded, she threw a look of disgust at Yzak before she slid her door closed.

Nicol shrugged helplessly when Yzak turned to glare at him. Then he directed his glare at her door. As furious as he was now, he felt this urgent need to clarify his sexuality before getting back to Dearka. He marched right at her doorstep and pounded on her door. "Oei! Listen here and listen well! I'm STRAIGHT!"

The reply from inside didn't sound convinced. It sounded strained and somewhat irritated. "Okay!"

Nicol couldn't help but chuckle at the turn of the tables. However, he had to stifle his amusement when the pair of murderous blue eyes turned to glare at him.

"Dearka, Yzak and Nicol. Please report to the bridge now. It's urgent, so please hurry. Please bring along Ms. Whitley. Repeating. Dearka, Yzak and Nicol. Please report to the bridge now. It's urgent, so please hurry. Please bring along Ms. Whitley."

Dearka popped his head out from his bunk when he heard the abrupt page. "What's going on?"

Nicol shrugged, equally baffled. Alix opened her door then. She faltered a step back however, when she saw Yzak rooted right at her doorstep. The two exchanged a glare before they turned their faces away from each other with snorts.

"Let's go." Yzak prompted in the end. With a scowl, he marched to the bridge.

Dearka trailed beside him. "Wait up, Yzak! Nicol, Ms. Whitley is yours!"

Alix looked away when Dearka winked at her. She was not used to having flirtatious guys around her. Turning to Nicol, she decided to focus on more serious matters. The page included her. "What's going on?"

Nicol shrugged. "Let's find out."


	21. Whispers in the Dark

**Chapter 21: Whispers in the Dark**

"Okay." Captain Zelman said. "Everyone's here."

Alix spotted Athrun on the communication screen the moment she stepped into the bridge with Nicol. Clad in his combat suit with his helmet under his arm, Athrun was standing behind Rau, who occupied two-thirds of the screen.

A mixture of expressions spread across Athrun's face when he saw Alix. He looked surprised at first, before he frowned at her, wondering how she got that nasty bruise on her face.

Was she… mistreated…?

Alix couldn't help but frown back at Athrun at the reminder of the necklace she found in his bunk. It was also the necklace that made her realized that the pair of eyes she was staring into now actually mirrored her own. She narrowed her eyes.

Were they actually… related…?

Yzak noticed the silent exchange between the two and rolled his eyes at Alix. He concluded Alix was the most brazen bitch he had ever seen. _First_, she got Rusty. _Then_, she moved on to Nicol. _Now_, she was flagrantly hitting on Athrun!

_Anyway_, what business does she have here?

Rau cocked an eyebrow at Alix. Of course, he noticed the bruise on her face, and he found it utterly amusing that she was already causing a stir among his subordinates. Yzak was expressing explicit dislike towards her with his folded arms and trademark scowl at her. Dearka though appeared bored, is furtively throwing glances at her every now and then. Nicol was standing beside her; an obvious stance the youngest one in the group was protecting her from his other two comrades.

Well, judging from their stances, it didn't take a detective to find out how the bruise on her face came about.

Yzak was the first to break the momentary silence. "What is it, Commander? Are we having another sortie?"

Rau smirked, settling his gaze on Alix. "Before we get to that…Alix, what happened to you?"

At Rau's concern, Alix and Athrun unanimously snapped out from their train of thoughts. And Yzak, Rau noticed, was instantly agitated by his question. Why, he was glaring at Alix now, as if warning her with his menacing blue eyes that it would be the end of her should she speaks.

Alix glared back at Yzak, and for a moment, the two were locked in tacit antagonism that was tensing the atmosphere around them. Athrun glanced back and forth from Yzak and Alix, wondering what the hell was going on. From the hostile signals the two were sending each other, it seemed that something unpleasant happened between the both of them.

Dearka sighed and looked away while Nicol hastened to explain, "It was a misunderstanding actually. Well… how should I put it…Uh? Well…"

"I fainted and knocked my head against the medical apparatus in the infirmary." Alix explained in the end, before tearing her glare away from Yzak.

Dearka and Nicol raised their eyebrows at her answer while Yzak simply kept his scowl at her. Athrun was unconvinced, but he decided not to not probe, at least not now. Alix was glad for that, however, the guilt from her own lame lie made her avoid eye contact with the pair of emerald eyes looking intensely at her.

Rau knew she was telling a lie. In fact, from everyone's reactions to her answer, he knew everyone knew she was telling a lie. But since everyone had kept quiet, he thought he should leave it at that. Besides, he did not gather them to discuss about trivial things like this. He gathered them to discuss about his newfound chess piece.

Lacus Clyne.

"You should be more careful, Alix." Rau remarked eventually.

Halfheartedly, Alix nodded. Somewhat relieved at the closure of the chapter, Yzak nonetheless rolled his eyes at Alix before focusing fully on Rau. "So Commander, is it about the 'legged' ship?"

"Now Yzak, impatience only spoils the surprise." Rau replied, flashing his trademark smirk again. "But yes, it is about the 'legged' ship.'"

"The name is Archangel." Alix defended, inwardly hoping that the news Rau was going to give was that they had lost Archangel.

Yzak snorted. "Whatever. It'll end up in Hell someday. I'll make sure of that."

"It won't." Alix retorted, taking a defiant step towards him. "You will."

"You-!" Yzak raised his hand at her, but Dearka caught him from behind and pulled him back. Nicol, on the other hand, pulled Alix behind him. Athrun narrowed his eyes at Yzak. Though it was amusing to see that the hot-headed in their group had finally met his match for words, he decided to give in to his gut feeling that the bruise on Alix's face had something to do with Yzak.

And the suspicion of Yzak striking Alix didn't sit well with him.

"Yzak!" Athrun interjected, turning all attention on him. "Stop this immature behavior this moment! You're hindering our discussion."

Yzak scowled at Athrun. What right did he have to speak to him that way? He was about to retort when Rau backed Athrun up.

"Athrun is right, Yzak. You don't want to be removed from the next sortie, do you?"

Yzak grunted, folded his arms and turned his head away in annoyance. _'Always putting me down in front of the Commander! Just you wait, Athrun Zala!'_

"I have both good and bad news to share." Rau said after a moment of silence, crossing his fingers. All of them, including Alix, stared at him, waiting in anticipation at what he is going to say.

"I'm sure all of you have heard about Lacus Clyne."

"Lacus Clyne?" Alix murmured, finding the name utterly familiar.

"Lacus Clyne is the daughter of our Chairman." Nicol explained. He doubted Alix knew what happened to Lacus, since she was dormant in Gamof most of the time. "She's also Athrun's fiancée. She went missing while on her way to Junius Seven."

"Oh." Alix recalled, witnessing their engagement on the streets of Onogoro Island. She turned to look at Athrun then, and realized the indigo-haired Coordinator has been watching her all this time. The look on him was not positive. She looked away, somehow unable to meet his gaze. But it dawned on her then, the person who held the name of Lacus Clyne.

She had some collaboration with the SA Foundation. Alix wasn't sure of the details, as Samantha was the one who handled the collaboration, but since she was missing, she could imagine how worried Athrun was, given the solemn expression he has right now.

"Have you found her then?" Alix asked.

"Yes." Rau answered.

"That's a relief." Captain Zelman interjected with a smile. His smile was wiped off however, at Rau's next words.

"But she's in Archangel."

Incredulous, Yzak yelped, "What the hell!"

The rest of Gamof's crew was as incredulous at the news, and Dearka was the only one who managed to voice out their misgivings, "How did she end up in that ship? What do we do now?"

Rau shrugged. "I'll let Athrun tell you that." He turned to Athrun behind him. "Athrun."

Athrun nodded and stepped forward. He looked at Alix before he announced, "Archangel found Lacus in the ejection pod. They announced her presence after being cornered by us. After much discussion, we decided to exchange Ms. Alix Whitley with Lacus."

"Lowdown bastards!" Yzak spat, shooting Alix a glare that insinuated she was responsible for Lacus to be captured by Archangel.

All eyes fell on Alix subsequently, and for a moment, Alix was not sure whether she should feel elated or upset about the news. Yes, she wanted to leave the ZAFT ship, but no, she didn't want to leave _just yet_, not when there were so many questions running through her mind, especially with the mystery of the necklaces remaining unsolved.

"Ms. Whitley, while we connect Gamof with Archangel, we would require you to look at the other communication screen for them to identify you." Athrun said.

There was an unreadable expression on Alix when she looked up at him.

And somehow, it disturbed him.

**+Destiny Child+**

In Archangel, everyone was at loss for words when Alix Whitley did appear on the communication screen that connected them to ZAFT's Laurasia-class ship. When ZAFT appealed back to them claiming they had Alix Whitley under their custody, everyone onboard Archangel thought it was just their scheme to hinder their escape. Though considered despicable to use Lacus Clyne as their hostage in their battle, they nonetheless had the upper hand. At least, that was what they thought before ZAFT decided to bring Alix Whitley up, causing the tables to turn on them.

Thoroughly.

Murrue clenched her fists in despair as she looked at the violet-haired lass on the screen. _'How did she end up with them…?'_ Her brows furrowed deeper at the sight of the evident bruise on her face.

Natarle drew her brows together. The Laurasia-class would have to meet up with them if they were to do the exchange. And if they allowed their Laurasia-class to meet up with the Nazca-class, Archangel would then be stuck in a more perilous situation than they were now. She cursed herself inwardly for her one impulsive wrong move. ZAFT had never used Alix Whitley against them throughout the battles, not until they announced they had Lacus Clyne with them. If she was not so impulsive back then, perhaps the situation now would not be as dire.

Damn. She might have just fall right into their trap!

"So, is it really her?" Mwu asked in concern, appearing on the screen connecting him from Archangel's hangar.

"… Yes." Murrue answered helplessly.

"It never rains but it pours, isn't it?" Mwu drawled with a shrug.

Natarle voiced out her concern then. "We can't allow their Laurasia-class to meet up with their Nazca-class."

"Then you mean to abandon her?" Tolle interjected unbelievably, turning in his chair to look at Natarle. Natarle glared at him, but didn't bother herself with the kid. She turned to Murrue instead, who hadn't commented anything. "One life against dozens of lives, Captain, the decision is obvious."

Murrue didn't answer her.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Say something." Athrun prompted from the screen, looking at Alix.

Alix shut her eyes in despair. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden to Archangel. Judging from the situation now, Archangel was definitely at the losing end. Even if they do the exchange, it couldn't guarantee their safety. Instead, they would be dealing with more threats. Knowing Rau by now, Alix knew he would certainly commerce attack once the exchange was done.

And this time, it would be two against one.

"Ms. Whitley." Athrun prompted again, when he saw Alix was not doing as told. "Please say something for them to acknowledge you."

Alix looked up, and was surprised to see that the Captain of Archangel was actually the orange suit woman she met in Helipolis. Brushing the trivial coincidence aside, she declared, reluctance dragging across her voice, "I am.. Alix Whitley, the daughter…daughter of Gladys Whitley. I was caught in the crossfire in Heliopolis, and was picked up by ZAFT forces."

**+Destiny Child+**

Murrue sighed after she heard Alix. Even without hearing her, she already knew it was Alix Whitley through and through. She recognized her even though she only met her once. Her emerald eyes and violet tresses were unmistakable. "Alix Whitley acknowledged."

**+Destiny Child+**

After he got the acknowledgement from Archangel, Athrun turned to Rau for approval. When his Commander nodded, Athrun turned to Archangel; "We will commence the exchange once-"

"But..." Alix interjected, shifting all attention to her once again.

Her next words stunned everyone.

"She is dead as of _now_."

**+Destiny Child+**

In Strike, Kira could not understand why Lacus was smiling. It was a genuine smile, which made Kira all the more baffled. He was about to launch Strike when they were stopped by the announcement that ZAFT had Alix Whitley.

As he heard her over the radio, he wondered anxiously how she ended up in Athrun's ship.

From what they heard from her over the radio, Alix was doing something that he interpreted as sacrifice, which was not something one should _smile_ at.

"She is exactly what I heard." Lacus explained; her smile intact.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun scowled heavily at Alix, who remained suppressively silent with Yzak reviling at her. They were _so_ close in getting Lacus back, he wasn't about to let her ruin it!

"Ms. Whitley."

Yzak unwittingly shut his gap at Athrun's interruption. He had wanted to snap at Athrun as he usually did when he got interrupted, but the solemn look on his indigo-haired comrade somehow held him back. He frowned up at him instead.

Alix glared up at Athrun. She knew what he was going to say but she was determined to have her way. She shifted her focus on the other screen that connected Gamof with Archangel. "Archangel, escape with Ms. Lacus Clyne."

Athrun drew a sharp breath. He wanted to throttle her for her preposterous statement that rendered everyone shocked for the second time, but being level-headed as he always was, he opted for the most rational way to revoke Alix. "Archangel, if you leave with Lacus Clyne, we'll take that your ship has given up the safety of Alix Whitl!-"

"So be it!" Alix snapped, glaring at Athrun.

Athrun glared back, taken aback actually, at her resoluteness.

Fredrik pursed his lips in concern when Athrun was rendered speechless by their hostage's outburst. He turned to Rau, hoping that their Commander would salvage the situation, but Rau merely watched on with a bored expression and didn't seem to have any intention of butting into the deadlock situation.

Didn't their Commander realize that they would lose their Lacus-sama if they allowed the situation now to proceed further as it was? Nonetheless, he thought it was his duty to remind Rau of the unthinkable possibility. But just as he was about to open his mouth, Rau stopped him with a raised hand that hushed him to watch on instead. With a helpless sign, Fredrik did as gestured; inwardly hoping things would somehow work out.

Inwardly, Rau suppressed the need to laugh out loud. He had not expected to be _sooo_ entertained!

**+Destiny Child+**

With a heavy sigh, Mwu asked over the communication screen, "So… should we take up the offer?"

Natarle smirked, glad that Alix was sensible enough to see the big picture. "I suggest we should."

"That's cruel…" Miriallia commented, clasping her hands to her chest apprehensively.

"Yeah…" Sai agreed. He earned a disapproving look from Natarle but he couldn't care less. Though he understood the implications of saving Alix, the idea of abandoning her didn't sit well with him either.

Mwu sighed once more and fixed his eyes on their decision-maker. "So, Captain Ramius… what's your call?"

Murrue remained silently dithered.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Disconnect Gamof from Archangel." Athrun ordered eventually, his intense green eyes fixing at Alix.

The CIC of Vesalius appeared hesitant at first, but nonetheless did as ordered when Rau nodded his approval.

**+Destiny Child+**

Caught unexpected by the abruptness of the order, Alix only had time to open her mouth to protest when Gamof was cut off from Archangel. She tried to object the order from the other screen that connected them to Vesalius when she realized they muted them too.

Which means Athrun was making her a sitting duck!

She was actually shaking with panic now, but she didn't want to show it in front of them, especially when the Coordinator barbarian was watching her with hawk's eyes. She folded her arms and turned away, her mind in turmoil.

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun could see that the Captain of Archangel got very uptight upon the disconnection, a positive sign that the risky tactic he was going to use might just work.

"Archangel, you have five minutes to decide."

With that, he nodded at Vesalius's CIC to disconnect them from Archangel. He squeezed his eyes close then, feeling his control of composure starting to slip as the consequences of him losing his own bet settled heavily in his mind.

Lacus Clyne vs. Alix Whitley.

Who would win?

He sincerely hoped it would be the latter.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Captain!" Natarle called out, her voice carrying a hint of irritation.

Murrue took a deep breath, but she didn't turn to acknowledge her. Exasperated with her Captain's indecisiveness, Natarle decided to decide for her. "Archangel, to the Moon-"

"We will do the exchange." Murrue said finally, rubbing her temple.

Natarle wouldn't hear of it. She couldn't allow a woman's sentimentality to bring about the downfall of their ship. She sprang to her feet, staring hard at Murrue's back. "Do you realize the consequences of your actions?"

"Do _you _realize _yours_?" Murrue snapped back, finally turning in her chair to face Natarle. Natarle widened her eyes in surprise; she hadn't expected the sharpness in her tone. Murrue turned back in her chair, and thought she should explain her decision to them, since it concerned the safety of the entire Archangel crew as well as the innocent civilians onboard. Sentimentality aside, she had reached her decision after much careful consideration under the tense atmosphere just now.

"With Lacus Clyne onboard, ZAFT would only pursue us as we escape. Even if we do make it to the Moon Headquarters, there is this high possibility that ZAFT would take this opportunity to declare war on us."

"We _are_ already at war with them." Natarle argued.

"Only this time, we have _ORB_ against us too." Murrue countered, swirling in her chair to face Natarle again. Judging from the look on Natarle, she was glad that her CRC finally understood _which_ consequence was heavier now.

Natarle slumped back onto her chair, struck with raw realization at what Murrue was hinting her.

Her mother, Gladys Whitley, is the leader of the group responsible for supplying their mechanics...

Would you continue to help the group of people who abandoned your daughter in the lurch? On the other hand, if they saved the lost princess but was defeated thereafter, they would at least remained status-quo with them, not to mention the high possibility of pulling ORB nearer to EAF's side under the indisputable influence of Princess Gladys Whitley.

She was sure the notorious mother wouldn't just let the death of her daughter rest. The million-dollar matter was _whom_ the mother would direct her grief to.

Ultimately, ORB was not a nation to be trifled with either. As low-profile and neutral as the nation declared to be, the diplomatic country was nevertheless, _the_ sleeping dragon. If they could provide ships like Archangel and mobile suits like the five Gundams for them, who knows how many more advanced mechanics they have in store in their elusive military…?

And Alix Whitley is their fourth princess after all…

God! She was too obsessed with the ship's safety to see the _real_ big picture. She shook her head in shame, finally accepting the fact why Murrue was promoted instead of her.

**+Destiny Child+**

With the awkwardness of being cramped in the space of the cockpit with a cute girl he hardly knew increased each minute, Kira was glad when Mwu's voice blared over the radio.

"Get ready, kid! You're due to launch any minute!"

"He's kidding." Murdock interjected next over the radio. "Get the hell out of the cockpit now. The deal's off."

Kira couldn't believe it. "What?"

"Look who's kidding now!" Mwu retorted. "Come on! You know this kid can't take jokes!"

Kira was confused. He spared a glance at Lacus before replying them. "What's going on?"

He heard a burst of laughter from both of them. He frowned. Now was not the time for silliness!

"We will commence the exchange." Mwu said finally after their laughter died down.

"But not now." Murdock chipped in.

"When?" Kira questioned, casting another glance at Lacus, whom he had just realized, been watching him.

"In seven hours time." Mwu answered.

"Why?" He demanded.

He heard a sigh from Mwu over the radio. "You sure have a lot of questions when you're in the mood, kid." But he answered him anyway. "Alix Whitley is in their Laurasia-class, which is only due to arrive in seven hours time."

Kira relaxed a little. "Oh…"

"Oh… is all you can say?" Mwu quipped. "Are you going to come out now or are you wanting to enjoy the _sweet company_ on your laps a little longer in that small space of yours?"

Lacus couldn't help but be amused at the instant blush that crept up to Kira's cheeks that moment. Why, he couldn't even meet her eyes.

"We're… we're coming out... now." He stuttered, and reached for the button beside Lacus. To his dismay, his hand accidentally brushed against Lacus' chest when he did that. Lacus chuckled then, because not only did he recoil his hand as if he touched boiling water, he also apologized profusely for his unintentional act.

And when they were out of the cockpit, the bashful look on his face just made him all the more… Lacus couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something about him that simply attracted her.

And it made her wonder, out of all his friends, why didn't Athrun mention about Kira Yamato before?

**+Destiny Child+**

The look of relief was obvious across Athrun's face after Archangel announced they would exchange Lacus Clyne with Alix Whitley.

And _he _had to fight the desperate urge to tell indigo-haired Coordinator the truth – that he was exchanging his _sister_, his _biological sister_, the one whose body flows the very blood as his, for his fiancée.

His reaction to the news would certainly be anticipatory.

Or perhaps he was too late in giving the truth? Maybe he should have told Athrun about Alix Zala when he came up with the exchange idea. His response to the situation then could be more amusing to see.

Or maybe he should just spill the beans now.

"Athrun." He called out to his subordinate who had always been exceptional. These were the kind of humans he hated second. Athrun immediately gave him his full attention, and somehow, at that moment, he changed his mind. "Well done."

"Thank you, Commander." Athrun replied.

He nodded, wondering what changed his mind. "Go and have your rest now, before you pick up Alix Whitley from Gamof."

Athrun saluted, "Yes, Sir!" and retreated out of the bridge. It was at that moment, as he watched Athrun's retreating back, that it dawned on him what- …correction, the word was _who_. It was at that moment, as he watched Athrun's retreating back, that it dawned on him _who_ changed his mind.

Their _father_ – Patrick Zala.

If it were amusing to see the devastated reaction of the brother, then it would certainly be intoxicating to see the devastated reaction of the father!

And for the proud President of the Defense Committee to know that it was his own son who caused the death of his own daughter… how would he react? What would he do?

Just the thought of that moment sent his emotions high.


	22. Woe Is Not Amused

_Faithsparrow: "Thanks for your review, bankai18! Really appreciate it:) It's been a while since I received reviews because I dragged it ttooo long~ I must admit I have mental blocks for most of my stories and reviews do inspire me, one way or another (^_*) so please, if you could, leave me 1 to let me know how you feel up to the current chapter so as to open me up to different perspectives about the progression even though I do have an idea about it , not just Destiny Child, my other fanfictions too, if you are into the animes I wrote:)"_

* * *

**Chapter 22 – ****Woe is Not Amused**

"Nicol, escort Ms. Whitley to her cabin until Athrun comes for her." Zelman ordered. "The rest of you are dismissed!"

With the exception of Alix, all of them saluted at the command. "Yes, Sir!"

Nicol hurried after Alix when she started out of the bridge without him. She halted her tracks when he stopped her by grabbing her arm. She didn't turn however, to face him.

"Alix…" He called her softly.

"Please Nicol; I need to be alone for now." Alix said quietly, turning her head slightly to acknowledge him.

Nicol released his hold on her arm as a sense of déjà vu struck him.

From who had he heard this before?

**+Destiny Child+**

Athrun couldn't rest.

All he could think about was that pair of emerald eyes glaring at him. He frowned at the ceiling as he tried to figure out the flow of feelings behind those set of eyes. There was anger and there was confusion. He couldn't be sure.

And it bothered him.

He tossed to a side, crumpling the bed sheet beneath him. Whatever was the matter with him? Why does _she_ keep appearing in his mind like a relentless shadow? He hardly knew her, right? But why does he get the feeling that the bond was already there? He felt a sense of familiarity about her since the moment they met but… how was that possible? He abruptly sat up on his bed and nursed his forehead. He was supposed to worry about Lacus. His mind was supposed to be filled with Lacus. His fiancée was surrounded by danger now, so yes, he should worry for her instead of letting his thoughts wonder to some girl who had no relations to him.

However, his mind unwittingly recalled the evident bruise on her face. At least Lacus was well when he saw her onboard Archangel through the communication screen.

With a sigh, he glanced at his wrist watch.

Six hours and fifteen minutes to go.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alone is Athrun's bunk, Alix sat at the edge of Athrun's bed, staring down at the attached necklaces in her hands.

One thought led to another.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Yzak." Dearka called out patiently, though he was nowhere patient at the moment. "You're getting on my nerves."

For all he knows, the paranoid Yzak had been pacing half-naked to and fro nonstop in front of him for fifteen minutes already. In other words, since they came back from the bathroom.

Yzak stopped his pacing and flashed him his trademark glare at his remark. Being the Yzak he was, he snapped out his thoughts. "I don't feel good!"

Dearka sighed, and didn't even bother to look up at him as he flipped a page of the fashion magazine he got from one of the female crew. "As if that was news."

"I said, I DON'T feel good!" Yzak barked, demanding attention by slamming his hands on the table Dearka propped his feet on.

Throwing up his hands in surrender, Dearka gave in, for he knew, when Yzak Joule wanted attention, he would be like a kid who wants his candy. He would go on and on until he got the attention he wanted. "Alright, Mr. Joule. What is bothering you _now_?"

"Her!" Yzak bawled as a matter of fact, pointing to the wall that separated Athrun's cabin from theirs.

'_Not again…'_ Dearka inwardly prayed for patience. This was like how many times already? Man! He had already lost count! "What about her _again_?"

"I don't feel good leaving her alone." Yzak stated as a matter of fact.

Dearka grimaced, his exasperation obvious. This has got to be the most ridiculous worry he has ever heard from Yzak Joule with regards to Alix Whitley. He didn't and couldn't understand the silver-haired Coordinator's obsession with her. Yzak had been fussing about Alix ever since her arrival in Gamof and if he didn't know Yzak Joule, he probably thought his comrade wants to hit on her.

"You can ease your worry on that. That girl looks stronger than she looks." Dearka replied halfheartedly.

"EXACTLY." Yzak pointed out, glad that for once, Dearka Elsman finally understood. "She-"

"She won't die of momentary loneliness, trust me." Dearka interjected, raising an eyebrow that hinted absurdity of Yzak's 'concern' for her.

"I hope she does!" Yzak snapped. "She-"

"Tell you what," Dearka interjected again, not really interested in the topic of Alix Whitley right now as he dropped onto his bed. "You can go and offer your company if you like to." Almost an afterthought, he added, "If you can get _into_ her bunk, that is."

"Athrun's bunk." Yzak corrected quickly, and then widened his eyes in absolute disdain. "Who says about wanting to accompany her?"

"Just leave her alone." Dearka said dismissively, wanting a closure of the subject as he felt his eyes giving way to the tiredness of his body.

Yzak refused to let up. "Didn't it strike your mind that she might be planning something against us while she's alone?"

Honestly, Dearka got to admit, it didn't. Instead it struck his mind that Yzak was getting more and more impossible by the minute.

"OEI!"

Dearka snapped his sleepy eyes open at the voice commanding attention.

"Did you hear what I said?" Yzak snapped, and gave him a whip with his towel.

Halfheartedly, Dearka nodded. "What can she do anyway?"

"I don't know!" Yzak snapped, throwing up his hands in frustration. "This is precisely WHY I don't feel good!"

"It's not like she could create a bomb in there." Dearka reasoned, cuddling his pillow.

"How do you know?" Yzak retorted, seeming to consider that possibility as he stroked his chin.

"Yzak. Chill." Dearka coaxed, holding a hand up at him as he realized that Yzak was taking in his casual remark. "She won't blow Gamof up."

Yzak didn't answer him. In his opinion, everybody was underestimating the capability of their wolf in sheep's veil.

Dearka rolled his eyes as he watched his hotheaded Coordinator wonder about the absurd impossible. "Come on, dude! She's just a harmless girl!"

"A harmless girl won't come up with mobile suits and ships!" Yzak argued. The more he thought about it, the sounder his reasoning was.

He skimmed through the data of her creations before he was dragged into the bathroom by Dearka earlier, and no matter how he looked at it, no matter how much he hated to admit, Archangel was a tough nut to crack. The fact that the 'long-legged ship' was _still_ roaming somewhere in space proved his point.

For _the_ hand behind it all… how could they just leave her _alone_? Didn't any of them realize how dangerous she could be?

Alright, fine.

He guessed he was the only genius to figure out the devil in Angel's clothing. Everyone was fooled by her innocent facade. Had not she was needed to exchange for their genial Lacus Clyne, he would have suggested her to be sent straight to the Supreme Council to get her deserved sentence. Yes, Rau must have shared his sentiments, or else he wouldn't act civil around her. BUT he was no Rau Le Creuset. He was Yzak Joule. And Yzak Joule never showed mercy to his enemies, not even when they were girls.

"Where are you going?" Dearka called out to Yzak when he abruptly marched out of their cabin… undressed. It was a stupid question and Dearka knew it. Nonetheless, he hastily pulled on his pants and shirt and hurried to prevent yet another fray between the sexes.

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix regretted her decision for a brief walk to clear her mind the moment her door slid open to reveal the… the bare-chested Coordinator Barbar..._pervert_ standing at her doorstep with a murderous look.

God, has he been standing here like that, waiting for her to come out?

Yzak glared down at Alix, somewhat irritated at the fact that the Natural twerp always seemed to know when he was coming.

Both held on to their disgruntled expressions for a moment, before Yzak smirked. Boy! Was he _the_ genius! He really got her all figured out! She must be on her way to tag her bombs now since she was left unguarded!

Alix drew her brows tight at the smirk displayed across Yzak's arrogant façade. What in God's name did that smirk meant?

It looked evil, in any estimation.

Yzak decided to confront Alix. He wanted to catch her red-handed. He only got the chance to open his mouth, however, when her hand came swiping up aiming for his face.

He caught it effortlessly and snorted. "Resorting to violence to defend yourself? You're pretty much predictable, Natural twerp."

Alix's mouth went agape as she glared at him. Just what did the Coordinator Barbarian meant by that? What does he want from her? She instinctively tried to struggle free but Yzak had a death grip on her wrist. Unnerving thoughts filled her mind as her feminine instinct tried to take over. But her vocals barely got the exercise when Yzak foreseen her reaction and gagged her with his free hand. Both were locked in a senseless wrestle until something _soft_ wriggled free onto the floor between them…

Both eased their struggles then, and lowered their gazes simultaneously only to find their cheeks reddened in absolute embarrassment.

Both sucked in breaths of dismay at the same time of their _discovery_.

Both looked up at the same time to catch each other's horrified expressions.

Both _screamed_.

Dearka screeched to a stop as he witnessed the swift unstoppable episode right before his eyes. His jaw dropped and the first thing that crossed his mind was to get Yzak out of where he was before anyone could see him in his undressed state. Without a second thought, he pushed both of them into Athrun's bunk, not forgetting to seize the towel on the floor before he burst in right after them.

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol rushed out from his cabin the moment he heard the screams. Having seen no one in question, he looked down the hallway. Collective murmurs and propped out heads filled the hallway with liveness but that didn't stop him from frowning at the two doors before him.

One was closely shut while the other was left wide open.

That aside, both doors were quiet – too _unusually_ quiet.

And the thing is, he thought the voices of the screams belonged to _two_ particular Coordinators he knew…

He narrowed his crimson eyes at the two doors.

Suspicious indeed.

Glancing around furtively, Nicol decided to slip into the cabin of Yzak and Dearka. When he found it empty, he panicked, and instinctively came to the conclusion that something terrible had happened to Alix, given the screams and all. And his gut feeling immediately tells him Dearka and Yzak had a _huge_ part in it.

**+Destiny Child+**

They landed on the floor with a thud.

Disoriented that the Coordinator Barbarian landed on top of her, Alix shoved Yzak away and tried to scream for help. She desperately hoped that Nicol was in his room and would hear her pleas.

There were two boys with _indecent_ intentions in her bunk for crying out loud!

But an "Ah-!" barely escaped from her mouth when Yzak tossed himself on top of her again to clamp her mouth with his hand, pinning her down effectively with the reflexes that scared her.

"Make one noise and I'll-" Yzak was stopped short in his whispered snarl when he locked on to the pair of glistering emerald eyes glaring back at him. All of a sudden, he found it hard to spit any harsh words to the Natural twerp.

"Just be quiet." He managed in the end, and turned his blue eyes away from her green ones.

"My, my…" Dearka slapped the back of his head as he slumped on the floor at the doorway. He could hear the curious murmurs behind the door and sincerely hoped that no one would notice that the door to their cabin was left open. Or rather, he sincerely hoped that _Nicol_ wasn't in his bunk to suspect anything. That twerp was one of them after all. "What have we gotten ourselves into…?"

He perked up however, when he saw the sight before him.

A scantily-clad Yzak only in his triangular white briefs, on top of Alix, whose pale blue dress was bunched up to her flawless thighs revealing a peek of her panties, which also happened to be white.

This has got to be one of the most memorable moments in his opinion. Why, he couldn't wait to bait Yzak in time to come.

He didn't realize he was sniggering until he heard Yzak in his usual snappy voice, only this time, the tone was soft.

"What the hell are you snickering at?"

Dearka coughed to contain his amusement, but failed miserably as he choked, "At the two of you, of course."

Yzak became self-conscious at that comment, and scrambled off Alix with a grunt. Dearka tossed him his towel as he watched Alix scrambled into a corner all rolled up into a ball.

It was obvious both of them startled her.

She was planning something against them – Yzak must be too upset with their failed sorties to be out of his mind.

Alix looked close to tears but Dearka was impressed that she didn't try to scream anymore. She was glaring at Yzak from the corners of her eyes and casting furtive glances at him at the same time.

He tried to placate her by holding his hands up at her. "It's a misunderstanding, Ms. Whitley."

Alix directed her glare to him.

Dearka swallowed, and sought to change his tactic a little. "Alix is a nice name, I heard Nicol call you that. Can I call you Alix in the future?"

The glare turned fiercer.

"Are you out of your mind?" rebuked Yzak as he stood up and sat on the bed. He had secured the towel back on his waist but Alix nevertheless flinched further into her corner when he got closer unwittingly. "What nonsense are you blabbering about?!" It pissed Yzak to some extent when he saw Alix nudging further into her corner from the corners of his eyes. Who does she think she is? Lacus Clyne? He locked on her glare before he spat, "If you think I want-!" He stopped himself; feeling slightly embarrassed at what he was going to say, then decided to skip the words. "Well, think again! You-!"

"Alix?"

At the voice chipping in at their doorstep, the three of them unanimously froze.

'_Fuck!' _

'_Damn!' _

'_Nicol!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol worried his lips when he received no response from Alix from the other side of the door. He pressed the cabin communication doorbell again. "Alix?"

"I'm fine!"

The abrupt reply stiffened his nerves, and no, it was not the words.

It was the voice.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak winced at Dearka's poor imitation of Alix's voice. That was the problem the Dearka Elsman! You couldn't get him to shut up when he was needed to!

His exasperation was obvious as he snarled, "Dearka! What the fuck was that for?"

Dearka gave him a defensive shrug.

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol's anxiety doubled the instant he heard Yzak. Though he had expected him to be in there, to _really _hear him from the inside was another feeling altogether. If he expected trouble from his assumption, then he would have to expect disaster from the fact that he was really right inside. "Dearka! Yzak! What are the two of you doing inside? Open up! What are you trying to do to Alix? Alix, are you in there? Alix! Answer me! Are you alright? Open up!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix was absolutely glad for Nicol's intervention. She tried to call out then, but a piercing glare from Yzak promptly made her throat dry. If looks could kill, the Coordinator barbarian could easily kill a hundred just by flashing the permanent scowl etched across his face.

Clearly pissed off by Nicol's concern for the Natural twerp, Yzak barked, "Shut up, asshole! Get the fuck back to your damned hide!"

Even though he regarded Nicol as the naïve twerp in their team who idolizes Athrun, Nicol was nevertheless, one of them. – A Coordinator.

And Coordinators does _not_ mingle with the damned Naturals!

Dearka twisted his lips, reckoning a pessimistic outcome of their situation. From the way Nicol was shouting outside, he was definitely drawing attention to him, to _them_. And the last thing he wanted was to be deprived of his deserved rest by getting some avoidable disciplinary punishment from their Captain. Really, didn't it occur to both of them that there would be tougher battles ahead? Rest was certainly a definite requirement for excellent performances even though they were Coordinators. Why, they were still humans in a nutshell. And ever since the Helipolis sortie, or rather, ever since Alix was transferred to Gamof, they _never_ had a moment of peace.

And one, could only take so much.

Glancing around the bunk trying his best to pay no heed to the heated exchange between Yzak and Nicol in the background, Dearka caught sight of a box tucked neatly in the shelf above Alix.

'_Ha! Got it!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Gilbert Dullindal stroked his chin in thought as he kept his attention on the medical report on his desk in his dimly-lighted office. He had been looking at it for hours, yet all of it seemed surreal to him.

After all these years, his baby actually survived the gruesome incident.

'_Perhaps the world did want to be saved after all.'_

He brushed his fingers across her last name and frowned. _'That was sly of you, Gladys. And bold.'_

Unwittingly, he thought of Rau.

The clone too, was trying to keep his baby away from him.

He thought he knew why.

They knew he was the only one who could unleash her latent prowess to reign and unite the world as one, which of course, contradict their interests.

Yes.

Alix Zala held too important a role to the world, to him.

She was his ultimate achievement of mankind, his stepping stone to the beau ideal he has in mind for the world. Of course, he created replacements after he lost her, but none survived. None was even _close_ to her. For a while, he was forced to give up on his plan. But now, it seemed to him it was predestined.

It _really_ was fated.

Alix Zala is _the_ one.

If only everything happened according to his plan for her in the first place…

"Gil?"

He looked up, and saw the blonde boy by his doorway, smiling expectantly at him. He managed a smile, though he didn't want to be bothered at this point of time. "Ah Rey, what brings you here?"

"I learnt a new piece and I'll like you to hear it!" Rey answered boyishly. "But they told me that you do not wish to be disturbed and I waited a long time for you. Is there something wrong?"

"Rey-sama!"

Rey's caretaker, Lance, interrupted then. Flabbergasted that the young master barged into Gilbert's office while he went to answer his nature call, he quickly tried to apologize for his carelessness as soon as he saw Gilbert. "I'm sorry, Gilbert-sama. I-"

Gilbert held up his hand at him. "It's alright, Lance." Then he turned his amber eyes to Rey. "I'm sorry, Rey. I'm afraid I can't have that pleasure now."

"Is Rau in trouble?" Rey probed, sensing the air of somberness around Gilbert.

Gilbert shook his head, his smile intact. "No, Rau's not in trouble."

Relieved yet apprehensive at the answer, Rey bit his lips. Something was definitely troubling Gilbert, for whenever the DNA specialist sounded curt, it meant he was thinking something serious in his mind.

And it also meant he wanted to be left alone.

Turning his disappointed emerald orbs to the floor, Rey replied, "I got it. Please excuse me."

The smile all but died off as Gilbert watched his door closed behind Rey. Looking at Rey reminded him of Rau again.

And if truth be told, he was actually pissed at the imbecile double.

How dare him! How dare he try to keep her away from him after he had helped him pick five of the most elite genes in ZAFT to be on his team!

Knowing Rau Le Creuset by now, he knew the clone had something up in his sleeves. But he knew himself better. He wasn't about to allow himself to be one of Rau's pawns in the game of mankind.

He wanted to be in charge.

And first off, he needed to get Alix Zala first.

**+Destiny Child+**

It was time.

The maintenance crew of Gamof saluted at him the moment he touched down Aegis. Nicol was in front of them. Giving all of them an imperceptible nod, he returned their salutes.

Nicol informed him that she was in his bunk. He nodded, feeling Nicol was somewhat ill at ease. Perhaps, he didn't want to know what was troubling Nicol, or perhaps he already knew what was troubling Nicol, in any case, he didn't probe. Because whatever it is, he didn't want to be bothered by it.

Nicol offered his company to the Captain's office to pay Zelman his due respect. After that, both of them headed for her.

"Where are Yzak and Dearka?" He asked when he saw them nowhere.

"Still in your bunk I guess…" answered Nicol without a second thought. It wasn't until he heard a sharp "What!" that Nicol snapped out of his own thoughts.

Athrun had a _very_ disapproving look on him when he turned to look at him.

Thinking the indigo-haired Coordinator had gotten the wrong idea, Nicol hastily tried to explain, "I mean, they were playin-"

"Playing?" Athrun interjected, feeling nothing but absurdity over the notion. Not allowing Nicol to finish his clarification, Athrun marched towards his bunk with a grunt.

A feeling of foreign protectiveness washed over him and he couldn't understand why. No. he told himself. He was not feeling protective of her. He was angry with his two teammates. Men in uniforms should not be engaged in frivolous activities. What the hell were the two _playing _with her anyway?

"Athrun…"

He swirled around at Nicol's voice, a look of obvious irritation. "What is it?"

Nicol ignored his show of displeasure and glanced furtively around their surroundings. He needed to get _it_ off his chest, and he knew he could trust Athrun on secrets, especially this one. "I need to talk to you before we get Alix."

Athrun's frown deepened, partly because of what he had said and partly because of how Nicol addressed the root of his irritation. Alix huh…? In a mere few hours, they had actually got so acquainted that Nicol had already started calling her by her name in such an affectionate manner. Just what _exactly_ happened while he was away…?

"Later." He only turned his back when he was stopped short of Nicol's statement. He turned around to face Nicol, unsure he heard him right. "What… did you say…?"

Casting furtive glances around their surroundings once more, Nicol went up closer to him to repeat the impossible fact as softly as he could manage. "Alix… Alix Whitley… she is a Coordinator."

Athrun could only stare at him in raw revelation.

Sucking a deep breath, Nicol continued, "I have confirmed it with Michelle, and I've also... confronted Alix. She… she really is one of us."

A moment of heavy silence surrounded them before Nicol added, "So I wonder whether we should hand her back to the Naturals even though Captain Zelman said it is not our place to worry about that."

With disconcertion comes infuriation. _He_ was like that, now _she_ too? One after another… WHY? Why are _they_ helping their enemies against them, their own kind? He pored over the data of Archangel and the mobile suits during the hours he was left alone, and no matter how he looked at it, only the powerful words came into mind. These state-of-the-art toys, as Rau called them, shouldn't be used _against_ them! Why are they letting themselves be used by those despicable Naturals? Just what was their freaking minds thinking?

As Nicol continued voicing out his concern, he was taken aback at the play of expressions across Athrun's face. Why, it was rare to catch the Zala with such outward reaction towards situations. But then again, _this_ wasn't just any other situation.

"I know saving Ms. Lacus Clyne is our foremost priority now but…" He changed his mind when Athrun's disturbed emerald orbs turned fiercer. Did he forget the fact that Lacus Clyne is his fiancée? Well, he must have three seconds earlier. "Ah… well…I guess it should be okay, since Alix is the daughter of Gladys Whitle-"

"Gladys Whitley is a Natural!" Athrun spat, out of Nicol's surprise.

Discerning what Athrun was implying, Nicol was glad that Athrun actually shared his utmost concern despite the fact that Lacus, his fiancée would be put to risk at any delicate changes to the impending situation. "You think that Alix is used by her mother too?"

"Who else knows about this?" Athrun demanded. He thought he need not repeat the obvious.

"Other than Michelle who informed Captain Zelman about this, it's just you and me." Nicol informed. Almost an afterthought, he added, "Alix had asked me not to reveal her genetic identity though."

Athrun looked away. He thought he knew her reason. If her genetic background was revealed, she would be condemned by her own kind. _But_ if she _doesn't_ want to be condemned by her own kind, why then in the first place would she want to help the Naturals? There was no doubt about it.

Her Natural _mother_ must be behind this.

"Perhaps Commander Rau also knows."

Athrun narrowed his eyes at that. Come to think of it, it was highly probable that their masked Commander knew about Alix's genetic background, since he held the highest authority among all of them. But if that was the case…

"Why didn't he tell me…?"

If he knew that Alix was a Coordinator, he would never have suggested exchanging her with Lacus. Sure, Lacus was important, but he was positive that there are other ways to save her, given that Lacus was an important hostage who needed to be 'handled with care'. Or perhaps Rau decided that Lacus was _too_ important, which was why he didn't mention this troublesome fact to him…

Because Athrun was muttering under his breath, Nicol couldn't quite catch what he was saying. "Tell what?"

Athrun shook his head.

In any case, he needed to see Alix first.


	23. Chaotic Hearts

**Note from fLuTe-chan**

Hi everyone, here's my long long..._long_ overdue update! I will have another three to four chapters coming, so keep the reviews flowing~ Special thanks to Lady Annora as my beta-reader for this fanfic! You were great as usual:)

_Princesa de la Luna_...I got all your messages, sorry that I didn't manage to reply all of them. You are such a determined fan of this fanfic, I'm really glad to have you to keep me writing:) and I see someone new on this fancfic - _Byron Lancaster, _thanks for all the reviews too! let me know what you guys think more yah~

* * *

**Chapter 23: Chaotic Hearts**

The snoring distracted her.

Throwing a strained glance at Dearka who laid flat on his back on the other bed, Alix sighed, trying her best to keep her eyelids from drooping by concentrating on the 'battle' before her. She couldn't help but cock her brow when the Coordinator barbarian made his move.

From the way the situation was going, she reckoned they would end up at square one _again_ in no time.

She whisked a hand across her rather tousled tresses. "Are you sure?" she asked, annoyance creeping into her tone.

The retort came as sharp as expected, "As sure as your kind getting beat by me!"

Alix glanced away and sighed. No, it was not because of Yzak Joule's brusque communication style. After six whole hours of 'bonding' with the Coordinator barbarian, Alix Whitley had long since gotten used to his way of 'expressing' himself. What troubled her was the repeat that would happen after she made her move.

"Checkmate."

A look of disbelief washed over Yzak's tired, yet clearly disgruntled façade as he stared at the chess pieces, refusing to accept the fact that he, the great Yzak Joule, was defeated by the Natural twerp – **AGAIN**!

Alix grimaced when she caught his expression. She was ecstatic to witness this reaction six hours ago, when Dearka suggested playing chess while waiting for the commotion outside their bunk to subside. But after six hours of witnessing the same response over and over again…? Truly, madly, deeply, it was making her sick, physically and mentally. So in God's name, if she heard the words coming from him again, even if it meant blasting Gamof, she would stop him!

"Let's play it ag-"

"No!" Alix interjected, fixing her determined emerald orbs on Yzak's sapphire ones.

"Yes!" Yzak argued.

Alix widened her eyes in disbelief. "No!"

"Yes!"  
"No!"  
"YES!"  
"No!"  
"YES!"

"No! No! No! No! No!" Alix snapped, shaking her head vehemently. She sprung up from the bed to make her stand clear. "I'm NOT playing again!"

"Do I look like I care?" Yzak countered, towering over Alix as he bounced up from the bed as well. "We're playing it a-"

Alix threw her hands up in exasperation. The Coordinator barbarian was as stubborn as a mule! NO – He was something much worse! "Which part of Nnnoowwoaahh…!"

Unbeknownst to them, Gamof was picking up speed steadily as the ship was nearing the meeting. The increase in speed was not enough to send things flying everywhere, but it was enough to send Alix tumbling into Yzak's arms in their surprise. It was a swift and unexpected move that neither of their minds had time to dissect. Their reflexes took charge, which was the reaction they both hated. Alix grabbed Yzak by the chest to balance herself, while Yzak grabbed her shoulders to balance both of them.

"Damn yo-"

"It's not my fault and you know it!" Alix retorted.

Yzak grunted. Damn, but he hated when she was right and so quick to point it out.

Their faces were as tight as their hold on each other as they juggled the task of balancing themselves without touching each other more than was absolutely necessary. Just when they both thought they could make it Alix unwittingly stepped on his foot, tripping him, and herself, in the process.

It was then, from the corners of their eyes, they saw a ray of light shining from the door…

**+Destiny Child+  
**

"The defendant fails to understand how much he threatened the ship's safety as a result of his actions," Natarle proclaimed.

"That accusation is nothing more than an analogy," Mwu defended. "I request a purge of this incident from the records."

"Purge granted," Murrue replied, clutching her hands in thought.

At that, Mwu turned to the book Murrue had given him a while ago, who had frowned at him for his lack of interest in the laws that were established to administer discipline to the soldiers. But he believed survival was imperative when it came to situations like this, few would care about the law in times of desperation. Still, he needed the book now to fend off Natarle Badgiruel.

"Eh... Let's see…for us to have a civilian as a hostage in the first place, I believe that is a clear violation of Section 4 of the Corsica Treaty." _'Ha! There! What can you say about that, woman?'_

"This incident is classified as special type C," Natarle fired back in a matter of fact tone. "This case could result in an execution."

"Eh?" Mwu hastily flipped through the pages, looking to disprove her claim. Argh! Did Natarle know how much he hated the smug look on her face right now? "Special classified C? Is there really such a thing?" Perhaps he should have mentioned that books weren't his strong suit beforehand... "Well, we still need him to do the exchange… right?" He glanced over at Murrue for help.

Murrue pursed her lips as she turned to Kira. Mwu was right, but earlier the brown-haired boy had tried to smuggle Lacus Clyne out of Archangel and return her to ZAFT. Had ZAFT not come back in time with Alix Whitley, who knows what could have happened? She sighed, Kira remained indifferent despite the accusations being thrown around the room.

"Kira Yamato," Murrue cleared her throat. "Do you have any comments?"

Kira remained silent, his dazed violet orbs directed on the desk before him.

"Why did you act of your own volition?" Murrue probed.

Kira looked up at that. "Because I didn't rescue her so that we could use her as our hostage."

Natarle wrinkled her brow in disgust at that statement, was this insolent juvenile trying to reproach her actions?

"That's right!" Mwu quipped. "You want her as your girlfriend!"

"I object!" Natarle protested, jumping up from her seat. As if it wasn't enough for Kira Yamato to be unrepentant, she didn't need Mwu taking the proceedings offtopic!

Murrue sighed and turned to Mwu. "Please watch what you say during this session."

Mwu shrugged, while Natarle slumped back into her seat. Her frown of displeasure however, never left. Murrue then turned to Kira. For formality's sake, she just had to cite it. "Kira Yamato's actions violate Military Code Section 3, Code B and Section 10, Code F. It also infringes on Section 13, and because of that he is found guilty. He will be executed."

Kira gasped in horror at the conviction, but Murrue quickly added, "However, this only extends to military personnel, we do not have the authority to try you as a civilian. However, henceforth from these proceedings we request that Kira Yamato act reasonably. With this, court is now adjourned."

Kira took a deep breath. For a moment there, he'd thought his heart was going to stop beating.

"In other words!" Mwu chimed in, snapping the book closed with his hand as he got up from his seat, "Don't act so recklessly and do whatever you want." With that, he threw the book away, allowing it to float aimlessly around the office they had been in for forty-five god-damned minutes.

Natarle pursed her lips, obviously discontented with the outcome as she clutched the book in her hands. There was, however, one point that she possibly couldn't refute.

They needed him to do the exchange.

**+Destiny Child+  
**

To say Athrun was flabbergasted would be an enormous understatement. He lunged forward, wrenching his comrade up from Alix to slam him against the cold hard wall. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Yzak cursed and tried to twist free, but Athrun would not budge. Instead, he found himself being rammed against the wall again.

Alix tried to intervene, getting herself up with the help of Nicol, who had an apologetic look on his face. "Wait!"

"Are you okay?" Nicol asked. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have left yo-"

Alix shook her head vehemently, at the same time waving a dismissive hand at the good-natured green-haired Coordinator, her attention never leaving the two affronted boys before her. Given the heated start, Alix knew the situation could well get out of control if she didn't clear the air soon. "I'm okay. It's a misunderstanding, Zala-ku-"

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Yzak growled, shoving Athrun away upon his distraction from Alix.

He tried to give Athrun a deserving clout then and there, tried to smack off the accusing glare directed at him, but was stopped short when he found himself glaring at a pair of fierce jade orbs he assumed were Athrun's - if not for the disarray of violet tresses dancing around her.

What the hell was that angry look for? He, Yzak Joule, was the one being accused here! Being defensive was a natural reaction, one that even Nicol would have, but she made it seem as though he was the one at fault here.

For a tiny moment, he regret the speed at which he fought the urge to give her a good whomp.

"Yzak!" Dearka swore. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Was his mad comrade going to hit Alix again? No, no, of course he wouldn't! He knew Yzak was better than that, but it wouldn't hurt to play it safe, judging from the already frenzied circumstances that interrupted his snooze. He scuttled to Yzak, and tried to hold back the offending limb. "Don't."

Yzak hissed, but his fist remained a breath away from Alix's face.

At Dearka's intervention, Athrun took the chance to pull Alix behind him as Nicol rushed forward to shield both of them. Alix tried to protest, but a glare of displeasure from Athrun promptly shut her up. Athrun continued to fume when he turned to face Yzak again. In his opinion, Alix moved too fast for his liking. What if Yzak hadn't managed to stop himself in time?

Dearka could see Yzak's veins bulging with his rage at the three before them. He was unsure whether his hotheaded comrade would do something stupid to Alix now, but he sure would bet all his money on Yzak if it was Nicol-

**WHAM!**

Damn when he knew Yzak Joule too well! He heard a scream from Alix upon the impact and threw a perfunctory glance at her as she got to Nicol. She really was a jinx in some ways. For God's sake, no matter how much they hated each other, they never laid hands on one another, not until she came along. Just what was their freaking Commander Rau Le Creuset thinking? None of this would have happened if he had brought her to the Supreme Council in the first place!

"Enough, Yzak! Stop this nonsense right away!"

Dearka heaved a sigh of relief when he felt Yzak's tense body loosen up a little at Athrun's outcry. God only knew how much strength was needed to restrain Yzak in his madness, and he seriously didn't need the workout at the moment. He swept his brow with the back of his hand, and hated the perspiration which had formed there.

His wish, however, turned on him a few seconds later, when Yzak spat, "Who the hell are you to say that?" He charged swiftly forward at Athrun at a speed too fast for Dearka to react to. "Who the FUCK started THIS in the first place?"

Then, everyone started moving at the same time, with Alix's keening echoing in the background…

**+Destiny Child+**

"Kira!"

Sai and Miriallia came up to him the moment the door of the oppressive office slid open.

"Are you okay?"  
"What did you tell them?"  
"Do you need to wash the toilets for a week too?"

Before Kira could answer the apprehensive questions from his friends, Mwu interjected from behind, "Oh, that is a good idea!" He gave him a light push on his shoulders to get him out of the office. "You'll do that then!"

Natarle came out next, gave Kira her trademark stern look and went away.

Kira sighed, and turned to his two concerned friends. "I'm okay."

Sai was relieved to hear that, since he'd heard from Mardock that Kira could be executed for his actions. "I see. Then it's only us."

Kira was puzzled. "Huh?" If he could get away with this, why not both of them who merely assisted him in the act?

Miriallia pouted, "We got one hell of a scolding from Mardock." Then she made a face. "Are you guys choosing 'dangerous' as the word of the day! Or something like that, he said."

"Sorry, I'll help." Kira offered with an apologetic smile.

Sai smiled, and gave a pat on Kira's shoulders. "Nah, it's okay."

He was glad that all of them were all right.

For now.

**+Destiny Child+  
**

Someone was watching her…

She cast a cautious glance over her back as Chouchou came perching on her shoulders.

Samantha cursed under her breath as she shielded her head against the breeze with her hooded coat. Perhaps she was becoming paranoid now that the meeting was drawing near, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. This someone had been watching her ever since Cagalli's visit; a skilled pain in the ass who has been sneaky enough to escape her notice, had it not been for Chouchou's alert. The pet would alert suspicious strangers to her within 1km radius, a complicated setting in the mechanic butterfly's system that she never bothered to know.

She was alone in the crowded streets of Onogoro Island, her sapphire eyes suspicious of every person within her sight. Anyone could be that someone, someone obviously not on her side. They wanted to catch her, and that would be the end.

No, she wasn't about to let herself be caught.

She decided to blend in the crowd on the streets in hopes of losing her surveyor, and made a turn at a corner to pull out her cell phone, questions rapidly speeding across her mind. Was she found out by her mother? No, it couldn't be. She had been very careful about it, over-careful even. But still, she had to be sure. She swung her head around, looking for anyone or anything that gave the slightest hint of following her, but she could see nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, no one even seemed to notice her. The feeling of dread, however, escalated.

Tracks halted, she punched the number anxiously, but was startled when Chouchou flapped away abruptly, chipping. "Stranger nearing! Danger! Stranger nearing!"

She whirled around as a shadow loomed over her, revealing a silver-haired boy with violet orbs.

**+Destiny Child+  
**

She was waiting at the hangar of the plane shuttle that was going to transport them to their destination. They had agreed to meet here to abscond to North Africa together. Since the day both of them decided to venture into North Africa to stop the aggression of ZAFT forces on Earth, Cagalli had most of her baggage packed in her backpack… the backpack that was given to her by Alix for her fifteenth birthday.

Her departed cousin was the source of her determination - her reminder that she could never fail this mission, not even when she was discovered by Kisaka and was nearly reported to her Oto-sama.

"Cagalli…" Kisaka called out while casting furtive glances of their surroundings as he walked over to her. "The plane shuttle is taking off in 3 minutes."

Cagalli drew a breath in frustration. "Can't it wait for another 10?"

Kisaka shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Your chamber maid may have already discovered you missing. Most likely the guards have already been deployed to search for you. They will be here soon."

"But Samantha… " Cagalli worried her lips. Samantha was nowhere to be seen. Just what was taking her blond cousin so long? "We have to wait for her."

Kisaka grabbed her by the shoulders, time was of the essence now. It was moments like these that he hated the highly-regarded competence of ORB's military. Every scheduled shuttle takeoff was computerized without failure in their data system, and the Operation Centre had the authorization to impede takeoffs when necessary. Their shuttle was scheduled to leave on the eleventh hour to avoid arousing suspicions among the alert on-duty crew, who were to check, and re-check every single detail pertaining tot he launch. Everything was a gamble at this point. He was sure his colleagues at the Operation Centre had already started to find something odd in the schedule, for shuttle takeoffs, land or space, would not be last minute or late unless the situation was declared to be an emergency.

It would not take them long to take action.

"Most likely Samantha-sama is waylaid." He grabbed her tighter when Cagalli tried to protest. "We are already 20 minutes late. We have to leave now, or never."

"But Sam-"

"She will have to join you later."

Cagalli gritted her teeth in frustration with a mix of worry as Kisaka urged her to move. She peered at the entrance of the hangar as she dragged her feet towards the shuttle, where signs of Samantha were still nowhere to be seen. "Aye, she better be."

**+Destiny Child+  
**

"Uzumi-sama." The head of the neutral country turned to acknowledge his aide. "The shuttle has departed successfully."

Uzumi Nara Athha nodded and watched on screen as the transporter carrying his daughter zoomed high towards the cloud-filled azure sky.

'Be safe, Cagalli.'


	24. Stakes on the Heart

**Chapter 24: Stakes on the Heart**

"_Taking a civilian you rescued as a hostage, and fighting alongside with these cowards, is that your kind of Justice, Kira?"_

"_Not being able to do anything but shameful things like that, it's because we are weak, right?"_

"_Didn't you say it'll be okay? Why didn't you protect Papa's ship? Why didn't you kill them? You didn't fight seriously because you're a Coordinator, right? Papa…Give me back my Papa!"_

Perhaps they should just execute him.

Kira forced himself not to think about it much, about them, about their words, but they haunted him as he glided along the passageway of Archangel, and it _hurt_. He couldn't hold those feelings inside any longer when he reached a quiet corner. He cried out, as loud as he could, wishing his soul could somehow be redeemed from his outburst.

"Are you okay?"

Kira gasped, shocked and embarrassed that he was found in such frail predicament. His teary violet orbs found the pink princess immediately, and he couldn't help but stare at Lacus as she landed beside him with a faint smile. She reached out to him when she saw his face was wet, but Kira hastily wiped his own tears away. As if it wasn't already embarrassing enough to be caught crying, he wouldn't allow this girl stranger to dry his tears for him.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her. The message was clear, Coordinators should not roam around in this ship.

Of course, he was the only exception.

"Taking a walk…" Lacus replied as she drifted away from him. "Then I heard a loud cry from here…"

"You shouldn't come out whenever you want. They will think you're a spy," Kira said as a matter of fact, in an attempt to draw her attention away from his embarrassment.

"Oh?" Lacus floated back towards him and landed beside him again. "But Pink-chan…" Haro interrupted with a greeting then, and Lacus continued, "likes walks, and even when the door is locked, it will open it and go out on its own."

Haro again interrupted by retorting Lacus's claim. Kira glanced at the mechanic pet, still convinced that Lacus shouldn't be out here nevertheless. "Anyway, let's go back."

Lacus wasn't about to go back to those four walls so soon, but it seemed that he was determined to send her back in again. She let out a giggle, and decided to divert his attention a little. It had been a while since she was isolated from the world, she wanted an update. "The fighting is over, right?"

Haunting memories came back to Kira upon that question. "Yes… Well… Thanks to you and Alix Whitley."

"You look sad." Lacus commented. She thought he should be glad that it was over.

"I… don't really want to fight… since I'm also a Coordinator. Athrun… is a friend that I was really close to," Kira blurted out without a second thought. It was weird, but in some way, he was comforted by her presence and felt it was alright for her to know since she was also a Coordinator.

"Athrun?" Lacus was surprised that Kira knew her fiancé.

"Athrun Zala…" Kira continued, oblivious at the look of acknowledgment on Lacus as he turned away. "He's in that mobile suit… pilot of Aegis…"

"I see." So that's what was bothering him. "Both of you are good people. This is truly a sad situation."

The way she said it made Kira realize that she knew his childhood friend too. "You know Athrun?"

Lacus smiled at that. "Athrun Zala is someone I will marry someday. Although he is kind, he is really quiet. But he gave me Haro! When I said I really loved it, he went on to make a few more!"

Kira returned the smile and glanced at her mechanical pet, just now noting how similar to Tori it was. "I see, he hasn't changed at all. My Tori was also made by him."

"Really!"

"But…"

"Wouldn't it be great if the two of you didn't have to fight one another?"

Kira wished that too, but given the circumstances now, he gathered they still had a long way to go…

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix trailed quietly behind Athrun, they were making their way to the hangar to prepare for the takeoff. She stared at his stiff back, marvelling at how he commanded authority as he marched on, never slowing in his tracks to check on her. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but she couldn't really find the courage to approach him. She knew time was running out and this might be the last time she would ever see him, so technically it was now or never. But… she was afraid. She was afraid to probe into some matters that might just change everything for her.

Athrun could feel the weight of her gaze on him the moment they left his bunk. There was so much he wanted to ask her, but somehow he couldn't find the guts to approach her. He knew time was running out, and this might just be the last time he would ever see her, so technically it was now or never. But… he was afraid. He was afraid to probe into some matters that might just confuse his emoitons. No, it was better that he stuck with rage.

The air around them now was so tense it was unnerving, and he was sure she felt the same way he did.

He ceased his march and spun around, "What is it?"

Alix didn't expect him to slam on the brakes when they turned the corner, and she certainly didn't expect that he could read her mind. She crashed her head into his chest, but thought that she felt more pain from the grip on her shoulders than the knock on her forehead. She looked up at Athrun, his face looked angry and his eyes were even worse. They were piercing into her.

"Why-!"

"I'm sorry." Alix grimaced, assuming Athrun was still upset from the earlier episode. On closer inspection, it seemed that the bruises on him looked far more serious. The grip on her shoulders was getting more painful, and he didn't let go even when she tried to pry his hands away. Truth be told, Athrun was scaring her.

Athrun hissed. Yeah, she should be sorry. She thought he didn't _know_. He opened his mouth to confront her then and there, but was stopped short by an announcement.

"Calling Athrun Zala. Please bring Ms. Alix Whitley to the hangar now. I repeat. Calling Athrun Zala. Please bring Ms. Alix Whitley to the hangar now."

Rationale snapped back, along with the one person who flashed across his mind upon the announcement – Lacus.

Any change, no matter how small, would jeopardize her safety and that was the last thing Athrun wanted for his fiancée.

He needed to get Lacus back.

**+Destiny Child+  
**

"Where are you taking me?" Samantha shrieked, trying to yank his death grip off her wrist.

"Home."

"I don't want to go home!"

"Not a choice."

Home.

His answers clearly painted him as yet another dog of her mother's. She would have found him attractive, if not of his brusque manner towards her. He was the first and only one who dared to act this rough against her! It became apparent to her that her plan to abscond to North Africa with Cagalli was leaked. She started to worry about the ORB's heiress, whether she had gotten out successfully, despite her own wretched predicament.

"HELP! Somebody help me! I'm going to be rap-"

"Come quietly or I _will_ kill you."

"I dare you to!"

He raised his gun at her and pulled the trigger.

**+Destiny Child+**

It was time.

Lacus expressed her thanks as Sai helped her into the cockpit. "Let's meet again."

"Don't know about that," Sai remarked as a matter of fact. Having Lacus Clyne here any longer meant trouble, in his opinion, and he figured his friends, even Kira, shared this opinion. The Coordinator was already in the cockpit, focusing on booting Strike system and adjusting Lacus on his lap when he caught Sai's concerned expression.

"You'll come back, right?" Sai asked. "You'll definitely come back, right? To _us_!"

Kira understood the apprehension Sai had, he would have thought along the same lines if he was in Sai's shoes. He flashed an assuring smile. "Definitely. I promise." With that, he closed his cockpit and prepared for launch.

Sai wasn't sure how the exchange would turn out as he watched Strike exit through the hatch, and he couldn't help but keep reminding himself that Kira was their friend, and friends don't betray each other.

'_Definitely, Kira. It's a promise! I'll believe you! You'll come back to us! Definitely!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

It was time.

Alix expressed her thanks as Nicol helped her into the cockpit. "It's been a delight getting to know you."

Her statement sounded like they were never going to meet again, and Nicol understood why. It was all for the better if they never crossed paths again. He nodded, "Me too."

Having Alix Whitley here any longer meant trouble in his opinion, and he figured his comrades, even Athrun, shared this opinion. Why, Alix didn't look like she was upset. His blue-haired comrade must have weighed Lacus over Alix, which was logical, really.

The blue-haired Coordinator was already in the cockpit, focusing on booting Aegis system and adjusting Alix on his lap when he caught Nicol's concerned expression.

"Be back safely with Lacus-sama," Nicol said.

Athrun caught the apprehension behind Nicol's words. He knew he held back the question in his mind, seeing that Alix was with them. He would have thought along the same lines if he was in Nicol's shoes. But he was not Nicol, he was Athrun Zala. He had to save his fiancée over this… this… trai-girl who didn't realize the consequences of her actions. He flashed an imperceptible smile, "Sure I will." With that, he closed his cockpit and prepared for takeoff.

Nicol wasn't sure how the exchange would turn out as he watched Aegis exit through the hatch, but he couldn't help but keep reminding himself that Alix was their enemy now, and enemies don't help each other.

'_Be safe, Alix…'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"What is it?" Came the curt question.

Gilbert Dullindal smirked. He was certain the grouchy President of the National Defence Council of ZAFT would turn into a different man when he revealed the news of his daughter. He was a careful man, and he wouldn't risk the chance of revealing it over the phone.

His tone was professional when he spoke, "President Zala, I require you to come to my office-"

"If it's about the reproduction issue of Coordinators, you can approach the Chairman directly. I have no interest in that," Patrick Zala retorted over the line. He had no business with the DNA specialist currently. He knew he was working on the reproduction issue of Coordinators that Siegel was very concerned about, and had assigned him to head the research. He surmised he couldn't reach Siegel at the moment and had come to him because he was second-in-command in their government. He intended to hang up on the DNA professor if he wasted any more of his precious time for this insignificant matter.

"No, it wasn't about that. President Zala, I require you to come to my office because the issue is about your family."

"What about Athrun?"

"I'm afraid it's not about your son, President Zala."

"Do I sound like the man who has time to waste? Cut to the chase, Professor Dullindal."

"I understand you're a busy man, President Zala, perhaps even busier than Chairman Clyne given we are at war now. But as I said, I would require your presence in my office because what I am going to show you is extremely classified... and private. Even Chairman Clyne has no access to it."

There was a momentary pause as President Zala contemplated the situation. "This had better be good."

"Oh, it _is_ good, I assure you."


	25. Separate Ways

**Chapter 25: Separate Ways**

"Ah, President Zala, welcome." Gilbert Dullindal peeked behind Patrick Zala as he gestured him into his office, making sure no one was lurking nearby. Pleased that the ZAFT Defence President did as he was told by stationing his guards away from them, he closed the door quietly, forming a careful plan on how to approach the President.

Patrick gave a snort as he entered into his office. "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

"First off, would you like something to drink, President?" Gilbert gestured him to his seat as he walked over to his coffee machine.

"No."

The terse reply halted Gilbert in his tracks. He smirked, and turned to face the President who was frowning at him. "Alright, let's get down to it."

**+Destiny Child**+

"The Nazca-class and Laurasia-class have stopped their engines, and Aegis is closing in!" Jackie Tonomura reported. Murrue and crew glued their gaze on the screen, apprehensive of the tricks that the ZAFT forces might be up to.

**+Destiny Child**+

"Archangel has stopped their engines, and Strike is closing in!" The CIC of Vesalius reported, followed by Gamof. The two ZAFT ships tailed each other side by side as Rau and crew glued their gaze on the screen, in anticipation of their chance to strike.

"We will strike as soon as the exchange is done." Rau commanded as he watched the two Gundams approaching each other with caution. In his opinion, it was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

Most of the ZAFT crew was shocked that their Commander dared to try a bold move such as this. Archangel aside, they expected to give them time to send Alix Whitley away before they decided to take action. After all, she was one of ORB's princesses, and such a move might just jeopardize the relations of their two nations.

"Commander." Captain Fredrik interrupted first, unsure if they could handle the aftermath. "I think we should let them to send Alix Whitley away before doing anything."

Captain Zelman followed, sharing the same concern. "I concur. Such a move is undesirable if ORB-"

"ORB announced that the four-legged ship is not theirs, did they not?" Rau interjected. They didn't have time to waste. At any moment, their sorties may be forced to cease by none other than President Zala. He was certain Gilbert Dullindal had figured out his motive towards Alix, and would find a way to retrieve her. And her father, Patrick Zala, happened to be the only person who could dictate his actions. "Besides, as President Zala has put it, ORB is in no way innocent or neutral, when it was they who ignited the flames of war."

"It's not the Archangel, Commander. It is Alix Whitley I believe both Captains are worried about," Nicol interjected. All eyes turned on him, and Yzak was especially disgusted at Nicol's affection towards the Natural twerp.

"I concur with our Commander," Yzak replied. "Anyway, nobody will know Alix Whitley is with them once we get rid of that four-legged ship. She is deemed MIA and possibly KIA by her own country."

"Err… She is deemed seriously sick, actually," Dearka piped up.

"Whatever," Yzak snorted, rolling his eyes at Dearka.

"We need time to send Lacus-sama away too. We can't involve her in our battles. It's too risky," Captain Zelman reasoned.

"Vesalius can do that." Rau countered. "We let Athrun bring the pink princess to you before joining Yzak and team for the battle. After which, you can just head to the Council, while Gamof handles the dirty job."

There was nothing more the two Captains could argue.

**+Destiny Child+**

"We're here," Athrun stated simply as he zoomed in his screen on Strike. He reached for the artillery buttons, but was stopped by Alix when she grabbed his hand.

Alix earned a frown for that, a look that she was somewhat accustomed to by now. Nonetheless, she thought Athrun should not raise his gun at his own friend. "Kira Yamato-kun is your friend, isn't he?"

"Not anymore."

"Because of the war?"

"Look, I'm here for Lacus Clyne, not petty talk."

"How petty can it be when we're talking about the people we care for?"

Athrun blinked, and sternly reminded himself that he was a ZAFT soldier. He shouldn't be affected by her, she who betrayed her own kind without a sense of guilt. Their conversation ended then when they saw Strike approaching with its gun raised at them. For a moment, the air around them was tense, until Athrun saw a blink in Aegis's communication radio, an indication that Strike was trying to reach them. He pressed the button and a voice came through.

"Athrun…Zala?"

It was Kira without a doubt.

"Yes." Athrun tightened his jaw, emotions swirling through him as he stared at Strike.

"Open your cockpit." Kira ordered. Without hesitation, Athrun did as told, and Kira did the same. Kira nudged Lacus when Athrun and Alix came in view. "You have to talk to him; he can't see you clearly from here. He needs to verify it's you."

"Hi Athrun!" Lacus greeted while waving her hand at them with a smile. "It's been a while since we met. And Alix-san, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Lacus Clyne acknowledged." Athrun answered.

Alix felt instantly threatened when she caught the relief on Athrun's face after the kind princess spoke. She was dreading this, as much as she didn't want to spoil their much awaited reunion. She pressed her lips into a thin line, she was certain the ZAFT forces would attack them full force once the exchange was done. She gave Lacus with an imperceptible nod and a smile of her own, albeit somewhat forced. If meeting the acclaimed ZAFT princess meant dragging Archangel through hell, she'd rather they not meet.

"Alix-san, is that you?" Kira asked.

Athrun nudged Alix when he saw she was avoiding their gaze. "Answer Kira, he needs to verify you too."

Athrun felt a sense of déjà vu when Alix stared at him. Alix looked exactly like that when he saw her on Gamof via the communication screen on Vesalius. There was anger, and there was confusion. He couldn't be sure, causing a tightness to settle in his chest.

Alix averted her gaze eventually to Kira. "Yes." Her gaze settled on Lacus, a thought coming into mind. Lacus Clyne was a member of the memorial committee for Junius Seven, she was told. Perhaps…

"Where did we first meet?" Kira asked apprehensively. "I need to know if you are the real one."

Alix sighed, and closed her eyes for a second for this. She couldn't imagine what would happen after this; she could only hope Lacus Clyne was as good as she looked. "At the north garden of the Science Academy."

"Alix Whitley acknowledged." Lacus caught the relief on Kira's face after the violet-haired princess spoke. She smiled when Kira looked back at her, then he gave a quick squeeze and light push on her shoulders to go towards Athrun.

Athrun did the same to Alix.

The two princesses met in midair as the boys scurried out from their cockpits with the gentlemanly intention to help them onto their Gundams. After all, the girls weren't soldiers.

Alix reached to grasp Lacus's hands in hers. "Lacus-san…"

The princesses were talking, but Athrun couldn't really make out what they were saying. After a few moments, they parted ways to places where they belonged – Lacus to Athrun, and Alix to Kira.

Alix thanked Kira when he helped her up on Strike. Her chest felt heavy, and surmised that Kira must have felt the same when she saw how tense his facial expression had become. She squeezed his hand, hoping to offer some sort of comfort as both of them turned to look at Lacus and Athrun opposite them.

"Thanks for everything, Kira," Lacus said, after she was settled onto Aegis with Athrun's help. She nodded at Alix before she turned to her fiancé and gave him an assuring squeeze on his hand. "You too, Athrun."

Athrun returned her kind gesture with a faint smile. He was glad that Lacus was back by his side, safe and sound, but was equally aggravated at the fact that the pair of Coordinators opposite them went astray. If there were any chances for talk, this would be the last.

"Kira! Alix! Come with me!" Athrun reasoned. "There is no reason for both of you to remain with the Earth Alliance!"

Both of them were torn by Athrun's proposition. And for Alix, it was a revelation – Athrun knew _what_ she was.

"I...I don't want to fight with you," Kira argued. Tolle, Sai, Miriallia and Kuzzey flashed in his mind at that moment, especially Sai. _"You'll come back, right? You'll definitely come back to us, right?"_ Alix felt his grip on her hand get tighter as Kira continued, "But in that ship, there are people I want to protect! My friends are there!"

Alix followed, "There's no reason for me to go to ZAFT either!" They were _ORB citizens_, and she, being a member of the ORB Royal Family, made it doubly impossible to take up Athrun's proposition. How could they take sides? How could Athrun expect her, expect _them_, to go to ZAFT when they caused nothing but misery for them?

Athrun wasn't surprised at Kira's outburst, or Alix's reply. He was disappointed though, especially at Kira. He never expected his childhood friend to fall so low as to befriend the Naturals. As for Alix, he didn't want to look at her. "Then, there's nothing I can do. The next time we meet in battle, I will fire at you!"

"Me too!" Kira retorted. He couldn't stand looking at Athrun any longer, and it was time to go.

Being the enemy of Athrun Zala didn't sit well with him at all.

**+Destiny Child+**

"The enemy's mobile suit has started to move away!" Captain Fredrik reported, as all of them on Vesalius saw Strike drifting away from Aegis.

Rau smirked in his CGUE as he prepared for takeoff, it was the moment he had been waiting for. "Activate the engines, Ades!"

His smirk grew wider when the cockpit lit up.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Detected a mobile suit launch from the enemy's side!" Jackie reported the moment they saw Strike moving away from Aegis. "Activation of the engines from the Nazca-class detected!"

The announcement sent the officers in Archangel into a state of panic, for the situation was twice as unfavourable to them now.

Mwu cursed as he readied himself in his mobile armor. "I knew they would do this!" But he didn't expect them to do so that swiftly, not when Alix Whitley was still with them. Count on the ZAFT slugs to perform such despicable acts!

**+Destiny Child+**

"Commander…" Athrun trailed off. Shocked was an understatement. He had just settled Lacus and himself inside Aegis when the mobile suit detected ZGMF-515 CGUE launched from Vesalius. He never expected his team to take advantage of this situation. The victory would not be honourable, even if they succeeded.

Lacus couldn't help but frown when Rau's voice blared over the radio. "Athrun! You bring Ms. Lacus Clyne back to our ship. Leave the rest to us!"

Athrun hesitated.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Lieutenant Flaga!" Kira cried out the moment he saw the fast turn of events unfolding right before their eyes. He never expected ZAFT to take advantage of this situation. Moreover, he was in no condition to retaliate now that his reflexes were restricted with the extra weight on his lap. Alix was equally tense staring ahead at Aegis, having difficulty forming coherent thoughts, and instead silently prayed the pink princess would prove true to her promise.

"You think they would not take advantage of this situation?" Mwu's voice blared over his radio. "You bring Ms. Alix Whitley back to our ship. I will try to fend them off myself!"

Kira hesitated.

**+Destiny Child+**

Despite the unexpected progress of the event, Athrun got even more restless when Lacus suddenly bent over in the cockpit seemingly trying to press some buttons, which was of course inadvisable since she wasn't a trained ZAFT officer. "Lacus, what are you doing? It's risky."

Lacus ignored her fiancé and reached for the button that communicated to ZGMF-515 CGUE. "Commander Rau Le Creuset." Lacus called out, authority evident in her voice. "Please stop this. Do you want to create the battlefield where I, the representative of the Memorial Party, am currently at?"

**+Destiny Child+**

Rau cursed at Lacus's intervention. "What is she saying at a time like this?" He hadn't expected the pink princess would intervene in this matter.

In fact, her vehemence surprised him.

"I won't allow you to do this." Lacus continued on the other line when she received no response from the CGUE. "Please stop all offensive actions now. Do you not hear me?"

Rau hissed, "What a troublesome girl." But opposing Lacus Clyne now would not be the best move; it would only turn the tables on him. Grudgingly, he reached for the communication button with contained acrimony. "Roger that, Lacus _Clyne_."

**+Destiny Child+**

'_Oh no, I must have scared Athrun…'_ Lacus thought with dismay when she caught the blue-haired Coordinator staring at her with his mouth agape. She couldn't blame him, he'd never seen this authoritative side of her before, despite dating him for a while already. She flashed her trademark kind smile in an attempt to assuage the astonishment of the boy who would one day become her husband. "It's over now, let's go."

Athrun regained his composure at that. "Alright…" He gave Strike one last glance, before manoeuvring Aegis alongside with CGUE back to Vesalius.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Although I'm not sure what's going on, let's go back to Archangel. Pursing them now will be pointless. Are both of you okay?"

Kira and Alix only relaxed upon hearing Mwu over Strike's radio. _'Thank you, Lacus Clyne.' _Alix thought with great relief, exhaustion close to claiming her. She managed a nod, and Kira decided to speak for both of them. "Yes."

"What an unbelievable princess…" Mwu muttered. He hadn't expected the intervention of the pink princess just now. Rather, her power in ZAFT surprised him. He pouted when he did not garner a response. It made him feel like he was talking to himself, which he was not. He switched on their screens, and found both Coordinators staring ahead, seemingly gazing at the direction of the retreating ZAFT mobile suits. "What is it?"

Kira looked away in an attempt to avoid being caught with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Nothing, let's go." He hastily switched off his screen and focused his attention on bringing Strike back to Archangel, deliberately avoiding Alix's gaze on him.

Alix understood his pride and turned away, once again settling her jade gaze on the retreating Aegis.

She sighed, letting her mind wonder what would happen now they went separate ways.


	26. The Serenity before the Storm

**Note from fLuTe-chan**

Hi everyone, I'm sorry I have not been updating as much I like. I read all your reviews and I truly appreciate each and every one of it, thank you so much! Keep them coming~

* * *

**Chapter 26: The Serenity before the Storm**

They landed safely in Archangel.

Alix wanted to thank Kira again, for assisting her out of Strike this time when a blink of blackness clogged her vision. _'Argh!...Not again…'_ She grimaced at the excruciating pain that followed suit, and pressed her hand feebly at the back of her head where it hurts, feeling her own strength slipping away at the same time. She didn't realize she is falling until she felt a firm grip on her arms.

"Alix-san, are you okay?" Kira asked fretfully, giving her a little few taps on her pale cheeks. Did he hit her head when they landed just now? He certainly hoped not! His panic doubled when Alix fainted on him. "Medics! We need medics right now!"

**+Destiny Child+**

A feeling of dread passed down Athrun's spine as he drifted along the corridor of Vesalius. He frowned. All of a sudden, he was feeling disturbingly apprehensive for Alix Whitley. He was thinking about Kira when she suddenly invaded his mind. He did notice she looked rather pallid during the exchange earlier…

"Hello, hello Athrun!" Haro came whooshing by, effectively breaking his train of thoughts as he grabbed the mechanic pet in his hands. A helpless sigh escaped from his lips. Honestly, Haro is too much to handle at times, especially during situations like this where he needed some quiet time and the pet serves no more than a buzzing bee that you just can't wait to get rid of. On the other hand, if the pink pet is here, it would only mean his fiancée is nearby.

"Lacus…" Athrun greeted half-heartedly upon spotting her floating towards him.

The pink princess smiled. "Haro's really excited to see you again."

Athrun sighed and handed Haro back to Lacus. "Haro doesn't have that kind of feelings." At the back of his mind, it was explicit to him that Lacus was up to her mischief again, using her pet as an excuse not to stay where she was supposed to be. He decided he should highlight to her, since it is his duty to look after her onboard Vesalius. "You are a guest, and Vesalius is a battleship. Please do not wander around outside your room." While she pouted at him, he nudged her towards her designated room. Lacus was disappointed. God knows she was confined like _forever_. "I hear the same thing everywhere. How boring."

"There's nothing I can do. That's the situation we're in right now." Athrun's mind inevitably drifted back to Kira and Alix. He wondered about their state of minds. At least Lacus is safe, back with her own kind. What about Alix Whitley? He heard she was an outcast here; rejected by her very own kind but can she blame them? And Kira...What would become of him if he continued-

"What is it?" Lacus asked when she saw the troubled expression on Athrun.

Athrun blinked, his trains of thoughts screeched to a halt to the lady before him. How insensitive of him to neglect his fiancée when she is right in front of him! "I'm just…wondering how you feel, because you've been taken hostage."

Lacus smiled. "I'm fine. Your friend took care of me on the other ship."

At the mention of his benevolent friend, Athrun couldn't help but averts his eyes to the floor. He does not wish Lacus to see the disappointment he had with Kira. It was none of her business anyway. "Is that so…"

Lacus caught it nevertheless, and thought she should clear the current impression Athrun have for Kira. "Kira-sama is a very kind person, and strong."

'_This is precisely why the Naturals use him!' _"He's an idiot!" Athrun retorted. "Despite saying he's not military personnel, he still pilots that _thing_. He's being used! He's just using his friends as an excuse! Because both his parents are Naturals. That's why…"

Lacus could see the pain in Athrun, and sought to reach out for him. She was taken aback when Athrun refused her. This was not the first time actually, when she was refused by her blue-haired fiancé when she attempted to comfort him in this mode. But she thought by now, he would have accepted her into this part of him. She knew he was devastated by his mother's death, and sought to ease his sorrow ever since. She decided to try to convey Kira's feelings for him as a fresh start. "He said he doesn't want to fight you."

"I feel the same way! I don't want to fight him!" Athrun argued, feeling his controlled emotions slowly slipping away. He needed to get away from Lacus before he lose it. "Excuse me, I have to leave now."

"You always look sad these days…" Lacus commented when Athrun was out at her doorstep, back facing her. She was even sorrier Athrun refused to share his pain with her even up to this point. In fact, she found that the more she reached for him, the more he would retreat into his own shell.

"No one puts a cheery smile while they're at war." Athrun remarked, sliding the door closed behind him.

**+Destiny Child+**

"30 minutes until the rendezvous point." Murrue commented, relief evident in her voice. She stared at the space before them, which looked oddly surreal to her. Of course, a few hours ago, everything was against them. It was certain they would not live to this moment of meeting up the 8th fleet. Somehow, after the exchange, ZAFT had eased up their chase on them, which was rather unbelievable, given their relentless chase before. Perhaps it was due to Lacus Clyne, perhaps it was their luck that they found the pink princess. Anyway, Murrue Ramius was glad that the event eventually ended up this way. "We've somehow made it this far…"

Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, however, did not share her Captain's relief. It was _too_ smooth, in her opinion. Unlike Murrue, she does not want to make it this far, she wanted to make it to the_ end_. ZAFT will not give up their pursuit. Only foolish soldiers do that, and she understood, right from the start, that ZAFT was nothing like fools. Moreover, they are at their limits of decoding Archangel's arsenal system, which they never had the chance to fully decipher it before its first launch and the subsequent battles. They barely survived through the fights with the limited talents they pooled amidst the chaos from Helipolis. Of course, they had Kira Yamato. But Strike proved to be an equal mindboggling Gundam that took up most of his time. To add to their distress, they have Alix Whitley with them now too. Given EAF and ORB's delicate relations right now due to the war, who knows a princess like her can be more of a hassle than help to them even though she has known her to be the prodigy who created the ship and the Gundams despite her age. In a nutshell, they need to be extra vigilant, for they are in a _very_ vulnerable position right now, a situation her Captain seemingly failed to grasp.

"Operators, please stay alert! The fleet is highly visible. And there are enemies heading our way!"

The officers perked up at Natarle's authoritative voice. "Yes Madam!"

Natarle started for the bridge exit as a frown crossed Murrue's face when she turned to face Natarle Badgiruel. Count on the Ensign to tense up the atmosphere. "Ensign Badgiruel."

The Ensign halted her tracks and turned around. "Yes, Captain?"

"How is Alix Whitley?"

"She has not gained consciousness."

Murrue sighed. She sympathised with Alix actually. At least Lacus Clyne was well and fine when they returned her to ZAFT. And she surmised the pink princess was well on her way back home unlike Alix, who was stuck with them. They tried to contact ORB of course, but the country refused to be contacted by battleships other than their own by barring all outside codes in order to remain their neutral stand.

For this reason, going through the 8th fleet might just be the only solution for her.

**+Destiny Child+**

She could feel someone dabbing a damp cloth on her temple. Slowly, she managed to lift her heavy eyelids to find Kira Yamato beside her.

His face lit up when he saw she awakened. "Alix-san?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself too weak to do so. In fact, her throat was dry. As if on cue, Kira scurried to fetch a cup of water from the other end of the bunk and helped her up on bed. "Here you go."

Her head spun and her vision blurred the moment she tried to sit up, and Alix instinctively grabbed Kira in a bid to stop her world from whirling. Kira managed to juggle the cup of water in his hands, careful not to spill onto her. "Will that be better?" Kira asked as he gently helped Alix to lie back on the bed a bit.

Alix took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Yes, thank you."

"I'm sorry. I might have hit your head on our way bac-"

"No…." Alix interjected, fluttering her jaded emerald eyes open and feeling her headache subsiding which she was glad but nonetheless she knew her strength has not fully recovered from it. "It's got nothing to do with you. It's my old aliment. I get headaches from time to time."

"Oh…"

"Were you here all these while?" Alix asked.

Kira nodded sheepishly, rubbing his hand at the back of his head. He was worried sick about her since he was responsible for her. And if Alix didn't clarify that, he would have assumed it was him who caused her predicament, given the tension they had with ZAFT a while ago.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"For a while… I didn't really keep count."

"I see."

They shared a moment of silence, before Alix noticed Kira was wearing the EAF uniform. She looked at Kira thoughtfully then_, _her mind wandering to the north garden of the Science Academy where she first met Kira to Athrun's accusations about him to his reply to Athrun when the redcoat asked them to join him. From the looks of it, he is an important friend to Athrun Zala.

"Ah.. yes?" Kira asked when he saw the questioning look on Alix.

"Athrun…Zala-kun… and you… are friends…" Alix stated as a matter of fact.

Kira blinked and pursed his lips. It was a fact that inconvenienced him at the moment. "Ah…yes."

Flashes of emerald eyes that spoke of anguish flashed through her mind at that answer. She always saw that in Athrun despite the short moments she had with him. She thought Kira should know. "He is in a lot of pain…I can tell he doesn't want to fight you even though he said he will shoot you the next time you meet him in battle."

Kira averted his gaze to his laps, and wringed his hands so hard that Alix thought he is going to break them. "I don't want to fight him too! He is…a friend I like to cherish."

"Stuck in the face-off with Strike and Aegis…It must been tough on both of you." Alix commented, and she couldn't help but curious at the uniform he is donning. Initially, she had hoped the transaction was interrupted by the Helipolis attack but seems like it was completed. Archangel really is in EAF's hands now. But Kira Yamato is an ORB citizen as far as she knows. Like Athrun, she was baffled as to how and why he ends up with the EAF? In the war? She decided she could be straightforward with him. "Kira-kun, why are you with the EAF? Is it because of the war?"

"No! And I'm not exactly with the EAF!" Kira tried to explain. "But the circumstances just…" His jaded violet orbs rested on his laps. "went beyond my control."

Alix could relate to that. "Tell me about it."

**+Destiny Child+**

Unbeknownst to Kira and Alix, Flay was outside their bunk all these while. Her violet orbs glistened with shock and revulsion over what she overheard.

**+Destiny Child+**

Gamof was secretly pursuing Archangel under their Captain's orders.

The three redcoats, with the absence of Athrun, surrounded the 3D stratagem, devising a plan to attack the _long-legged ship_ as they called it.

"It's true that we're able to catch up with them before they meet up with the fleet. But we only have ten minutes before entering the 8th fleet's firing range." Nicol commented, careful not to mention Alix in front of Yzak. Given the hostile history between the two, he was sure their hot-headed comrade would want to assault Archangel even more quickly if he realised Alix is still with them. Nicol has been diligently observing Archangel's movements over the hours and he knew they had not sent away her yet. And he surmised they are doing it through the 8th fleet.

Dearka smirked, arms crossed. In his opinion, Nicol paid too much attention on the pathetic 8th fleet. "So we have ten minutes."

Yzak huffed. In his opinion, given their abilities, they require lesser time than that to sink the ship now that _the pain in his ass_ has gone away. "So that scared idiot is out of this for this time, right? Do we have ten minutes or do we have ten minutes only? It's how you think. I'll be sorry if I let them slip away with that ten minutes we have."

"I agree." Dearka chipped. "Whether a surprise attack succeeds or not does not depend on the amount of time we have."

Nicol beg to differ. Yzak and Dearka have become too arrogant for their own good. Alix aside, the 8th fleet is not a foe to be trifled with. They must have forgotten about the Artemis sortie. "I know that, but-"

"Vesalius will come back with our Commander as soon as they drop off Lady Lacus." Yzak interjected. "Before that, the long-legged ship is ours to sink, got it?"

Dearka couldn't agree more. "Okay."

Nicol frowned; with Alix at the back of his mind, the thought of sinking Archangel somehow didn't sit well with him. But nevertheless he had to remember which side he is with. "Understood."

**+Destiny Child+**

"What is it?" Sai asked when he noticed Kuzzey was fidgeting with his food.

"What do you think will happen to us after we meet up with the 8th fleet?" Kuzzey asked apprehensively. "Will they let us go? I mean, we stumbled upon a lot of things we shouldn't know. You know, what Captain Ramius said, the military secret and all."

Sai sighed, and took a bite of the food from his microwaved bento. He was not as pessimistic as Kuzzey though. Sure, they ended up in Archangel unexpectedly but that doesn't change the fact that they ARE _civilians_. According to military law, military officers cannot allow civilians like them to be in battle ships like Archangel. Besides, Murrue had said so herself. Until she found the 'appropriate authorities', they will be staying with her for good. That was why they are meeting up the 8th fleet now. That ship is going to transport them back to their own homes, away from this hell. He decided to comfort his friend by this fact. "Yeah, wouldn't the 8th fleet deemed as the appropriate authorities?"

Kuzzey nodded before adding quietly, "You're right, but…"

"But?"

Kuzzey pursed his lips, "What will happen to Kira? Will he be allowed to go too? He got involved in a lot of stuff than us after all. "

Sai gave it a thought. What Kuzzey said is not completely senseless. Kira knew_ more_ than them. Worse, he was directly implicated in the state of affairs. For a moment, he wondered on Kira's take at this situation. After all, he hadn't seen their Coordinator friend having any outward reaction to the situation, let alone talking about it. As if on cue, Kira walked into the canteen and grabbed an isotonic drink. Sai thought it was a perfect chance to catch him now for it when he was stopped short by Flay trailing into the canteen after Kira.

"Flay?" Sai called out, feeling uneasy on the gaze she had on Kira.

Kira turned at the name, and met Flay's impassive violet eyes. Guilt filled his heart and soul that instant, as he watched Sai walking over to his traumatized fiancée.

"What are you doing out here?" Sai asked in concern."Shouldn't you still be resting?"

"I'm fine." Flay responded coldly, never once looking at Sai as she walked over to Kira. Sai's apprehension doubled that instant.

"Kira. I apologise for my earlier behaviour." Flay's voice was soft and in an instant, her eyes were gentle. "I was in such a panic, that I said things I shouldn't have. I'm really sorry."

Kira was caught off guard at that. Flay was a totally different person from before. "Flay…"

"You fought the best you could to protect us yet I-"

"Flay, it's alright! Don't reprimand yourself like that. In that situation-"

"I knew very well that you were doing your best, yet-"

"Thank you, Flay. I'm just sorry I couldn't save your father."

'_Of course you couldn't save my father… you're friends with those sons of bitches. You're ONE of them that's why! It was stupid of me to believe you will try your best to fight your cherished friends. You will burn in hell, Kira Yamato, for making a fool of me at the expense of my father. I'll make sure of that.'_ "Wars are so unpleasant. I wish it would hurry up and end."

Kira agreed. Sai, however, was uncertain.

**+Destiny Child+**

Their radar emitted hostile signals.

"Radar wave interference! N-jammer levels increasing!" Romero reported.

"WHAT!" Murrue stared intently at the bright red dots blinking dangerously on their thermal detection system. They were edging closer to Archangel by the second.

"All units to take level one battle stations!"


	27. The Awakening Sword

**Chapter 27: The Awakening Sword**

"All units to take level one battle stations! I repeat. All units to take level one battle stations!"

Alix's eyes fluttered open at the announcement blaring over the radio. _'Level one battle?'_

A seemingly child's cry outside her ward echoed amidst the incessant announcement. "We're having another battle! Another battle!"

'_There're other civilians on Archangel?' _Alix glanced around for Kira only to realize she was alone. She couldn't understand this situation. ZAFT should have stopped their pursuit by now with the appeal from Lacus Clyne. And they are meeting up the 8th fleet soon, so another battle just doesn't make any sense to her. In any case, she got to learn what is going on. Gathering all the strength she could muster, she staggered out of her ward.

**+Destiny Child+**

As Mwu scurried into his cockpit, he cursed, "Damn it! Of all moments, they choose _now_ to attack us!" He knew ZAFT would not let them off from the mere appeal from their pink princess but to attack them just before they can send away theirs is just so contemptible. "Mwu La Flaga, taking off!"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Laurasia-class detected in 103 orange alpha!" Dalida reported. Jackie added shortly after. "Mobile suits thermal patterns confirmed to be Blitz, Buster and Duel!"

Natarle hissed as she watched the 3 red dots blinking perilously nearer to Archangel, at the same time trying to come up with the strategies to counter them. "Damn it! Trust them to do this just before our rendezvous!" She clutched her hands into fists, for she had no intention for Archangel to be defeated here and now, not when they were about to meet up with the 8th fleet. "Officer Pal, where's Strike?"

Miriallia, being assigned to be the tactical coordinator for Strike earlier by Romero, gasped at the commanding query and nervously connected her signal to Kira the moment she saw on him getting ready in his cockpit on screen. "Kira! The attacking ZAFT forces are the Laurasia-class, Blitz, Buster and Duel!"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Those three again?" Kira uttered, pushing a few buttons at the same time. _'Aegis…is absent.'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Murrue thought she should attempt to boost the morale of the Archangel crew when she saw the damned look on everyone's faces. As if being attacked at this moment is not wretched enough, she doesn't need her crew to feel dispirited of their predicament. "The 8th fleet is coming our way so everyone, please hang in there!"

"APU activated. For the Strike Pack, we will add the Aile. Connecting to the catapult. Strike, stand by. Systems all green! Route clear, Str… " Miriallia trailed off, her attention diverted by the ORB princess appearing feebly against the doorway of the bridge. "Your Grace…"

Everyone's attention settled instantly on Alix. _Surprised_ was an understatement, though the look on her face suggested she doesn't care about their reactions to her presence.

"Your Highness!" Murrue exclaimed, springing up from her seat as Miriallia rushed to support her. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed-"

Alix tried to explain her presence but was stopped short by Kira.

"Miriallia?" Kira interjected from the screen. "What's happening?"

Alix's attention was drawn to the thermal patterns detected by the thermal detection system. _'It's them…'_

"Miriallia? Are you there?"

Miriallia perked up at Kira's interruption, settled Alix hastily between her and Sai, and continued nervously, "Erhm…we've got Your Grace with us."

"Alix-san?" Kira couldn't believe his eyes. From the way Alix looked when he was with her a while ago, he knew she was in no condition to be up. Why, she is looking breathless still. "Alix-san, you shouldn't be at the brid-"

"Strike!" Natarle interjected vehemently, obviously agitated at the holdup. "Prepare for your takeoff!" She turned to Alix next. They don't need another Flay Allster on their bridge again. "Your Highness, this is not a playground. Please know your place here. You will be more of a hindrance than help here. Sai Argyle, esco-"

"I know the weaknesses of the Gundams."

At that, Murrue and Natarle exchanged contemplating glances at this fact that both of them overlooked.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak snorted. Now is the perfect chance to prove that he, Yzak Joule, is more capable than _the_ Athrun Zala. All he has to do is to bring Strike and Archangel down, which is a piece of cake in his opinion. He would have brought these two eyesores down long ago, if not for the Zala's irresolute interference. "Nicol, Dearka! We're forming the triangle to fake them into believing we're attacking headfirst!"

"Yes, leader!" Dearka responded eagerly.

"Nicol?" Yzak called out when he heard no response from the green-haired Coordinator.

At the voice commanding attention the second time, Nicol responded quietly. "Got it."

Yzak tsked. The last thing he needs is to have one of them space out for God knows what. He wanted their hundred-percent concentration in this sortie. "Nicol! If you screw this up, I will kill you with my bare hands, do you understand me?"

"… Understood."

**+Destiny Child+**

"Activate igelstellungs!" Natarle commanded. "Prepare anti-beam depth charges! Set up all stern missile tubes!"

Alix intuitively assessed the current situation as the Archangel crew hastily carry out the orders. Even though Archangel had activated almost every arsenal possible, Alix thought they are still missing something. From what she comprehended about ZAFT during the time she was with them, sinking Archangel has always been their foremost priority. Gundam Strike, though unexpectedly outstanding, remained their secondary target, which she understood why. Sinking the mother ship is as good as sinking all munitions that came along with it. And she was sure, that Gundam _Duel_, will be the first coming for Archangel. As much as she loathed him, she couldn't deny his battle skills, or his comrades. She has seen them in battles. Some way or another, Alix believed they will be able to evade the attacks aimed at them and assault Archangel to a point of destruction. She narrowed her eyes when she saw them merging to form a triangle while zooming towards them.

"All missile tubes to aim at Blitz, Dual and Buster!" Natarle commanded when she saw that.

'…_Something is just… not right.'_ They wouldn't be that stupid to come together for Archangel to shoot right at them. Even if they were combining their powers to shoot Archangel, Alix knew as well as them that their arsenals, even when combined, were not strong enough to sink Archangel at that distance, not when they knew Archangel will aim their missiles at them. Which only means - "No! They are a distraction! We have to bring the laminated armour to the maximum! They will get Gamof to shoot us!"

Murrue and Natarle frowned deeper at that. What Alix said made sense.

"We can't!" Arnold Neumann responded helplessly, grasping the consequence of what Alix said. "We have not fully decipher Archangel's system and the laminated armour is one of them!" He is the pilot for Archangel, and he hated his helplessness now. He has been trying to configure the ship ever since her rollout but her complicated OS proved too much for even a professional like him. If they were to be subjugated here and now, he would be liable for it. His guilt would make sure of that.

Alix scrambled over to Arnold, surprising him and everyone present. "Let me do it now!"

**+Destiny Child+**

"Now!" Yzak commanded, and the three of them split just in time to evade Gamof's cannon blast directed at Archangel through them. A sneer escaped his lips when he saw the blast zooming straight towards the four-legged ship.

**+Destiny Child+**

'_This child…'_ Murrue narrowed her eyes, her jaw muscles knotting painfully but she didn't care. She couldn't decide she was more amazed at Alix's speed at activating the function that Arnold spent fruitless hours on or relieved at the sound of the computerised voice that comes to life at her quick touch.

"Laminated armor increa-"

**BOOM!**

The hit on Archangel reverberated throughout the ship. Everyone was thrown into distress by the abrupt blow caused by the Laurasia-class. Alix would have blown away if not for Arnold's swift reflexes to grab her arm. Alix thanked him, but nevertheless felt indignant about the attack. She was _this_close to advance the laminated armour!

"They really got us into their hands…" Murrue remarked, banging her fists on her seat amidst the juddering felt in Archangel.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Hiding their line of fire behind those 3, that's _wicked_." Mwu spat, and navigated his mobile armor closer to Archangel while aiming his missiles at the 3 flies before him. He cursed when one of his shots failed to have impact on Buster; instead he barely escaped his counter attack. Now that he has all their attention, they are coming at him at the speed that was becoming too much to handle.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Lieutenant La Flaga!" Kira cried out, firing a few shots to make the three Gundams to recoil from Mwu.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak growled at the intrusion, but nevertheless the adrenaline rush from seeing Strike on the field again evoked the insult he got from the Gundam. He fired a few shots back at Strike, but it evaded easily. Seeing that Dearka could handle the mobile armour all by himself and that Nicol was free, he manoeuvred Duel to soar after Strike. "I will go after the mobile suit! Nicol, the legged ship is all yours!"

The violet-haired princess flashed across Nicol's mind at that order, and he was inwardly relieved that Yzak and Dearka 'played right into his hands'. But he had to shake his head to remind himself that Alix was not an ally. "Roger that!"

As Yzak watched Blitz navigating towards Archangel's direction, he snorted and stepped on his accelerator. They had them all cornered. In no time, they would succumb under their hands. He smirked when Strike came into reachable distance. "Strike, huh?" Without hesitation, he drew his sword and slashed mercilessly at the Gundam.

This time, he _will_ defeat Strike.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Valiants, fire!" Natarle commanded amidst the battle chaos.

Alix gasped when she saw Duel's move on Strike, and was only able to exhale when Strike, though barely, managed to evade the assault. She pressed her lips into a thin line. She has no time to worry about Strike at the moment. From what she understood from Archangel's system configuration a while ago, they were far more than prepared for a battle like this.

She had to do something.

"Your Highness!" Natarle cried out in annoyed disbelief when she saw Alix typing away at Arnold's at remarkable speed that awed everyone once again. Though she gave it to Alix for her prediction a while ago, she is still a child, and that means unreliability and lack of battle experiences. Proof? They could have changed their course instead of increasing the laminated armor just now to dodge the hit – It's faster. She was sure the experienced Murrue would agree with her. In actual fact, she couldn't understand why Murrue didn't stop her just now. Anyhow, for them to leave the whole ship to a child at her whim is just plain dicey, not to mention, _ridiculous_, especially at this crucial moment. "Please stop whatever you're doing right now! You're placing everyone in danger!"

Alix refused to budge. Placing everyone in danger was the last thing she would want to do. Her eyes, though getting weary, strayed from left to right consistently, her typing never ceased. "If we can't fully decipher Archangel's system now, the least we could do is to allow her to protect herself."

Murrue was confused. "Huh?" _'What is she saying?'_

"Automated manoeuvrability activated." Archangel announced shortly after Alix, marvelling everyone on bridge that Archangel has integrated Artificial Intelligence. It was an unprecedented innovation no one thought would be possible. Why, Archangel may be topped as the most state-of-the-art warship in current times given this intelligent feature.

For Natarle, it was added with insult and scepticism. Insult was because her own men couldn't figure out this activation despite the long hours and they left it to a child to accomplish it; Scepticism was because Human Intelligence is the utmost essence in battles. To entrust their lives to AI? Especially _now_? "You gotta be joking me!" She blurted out her doubts out. "Please stop fooling around, Your Highness, before I give the order to-"

"Archangel will assess the battle situation around her and adopt the best way possible for defence and possibly attack, depending how the circumstances turn out." Alix explained hastily, at the same time, finishing the last bits of the AI activation. She understood the scepticism. When she first introduced this feature to her mother, her mother dismissed it without a second thought. It was only after she proved it to her via a couple of simulations that the acclaimed Professor believed her claim. She glanced over at Murrue, who had her rather judgmental stare fixed at her. Alix thought she should quickly clarify her ground before the Captain speaks. "Once automated manoeuvrability is activated, whatever futile deciphering you had earlier will not be a problem because this feature overwrites everything. She will be fully in charge."

"So, what do I do now?" Arnold asked unwittingly, thinking he was somewhat redundant now. He couldn't tear away his gaze at his screen, incredulous it was having a life of its own.

Still stuck in awe, Miriallia and Sai had to blink their eyes to grasp her words for it flowed like bullets. Alix was about to answer Arnold when Natarle snapped, "Still, it's absurd to want us to depend on AI for situations like this!" She turned to Murrue. Surely her Captain would see this valid point. "Captain!"

"I want you to believe in Archangel!" Alix retorted. "Isn't she the reason why all of you are still fighting out here now?"

Natarle wanted to retort when Murrue held up her hand. She could see Alix and Natarle getting worked up over this, which is the last thing they needed right now. "Your Highness. Ensign Badgiruel has her point. In times like this, getting the ship fully automated may not be the best solution for us. As much as we believe in Archangel, we ask you to believe in us too and not get into our way. _Please_, undo the automated function and let us do our job."

Alix was instantly sorry. She had indeed crossed the line but she couldn't refute her stand. "I-"

"GAT-X207 closing in at approximate 50 miles per hour. Please confirm to open hatch." Archangel reported, sending everyone in a state of awe and panic for the umpteenth time. Everything is happening too fast at the same time.

Seeing the stupefied look on Arnold, Alix quickly clarified, "I didn't give Archangel the full pilot access. You still have the overall authority. She still requires manual permission for her actions."

At that, Archangel repeated, "Please confirm to open hatch."

Arnold caught on immediately and quickly set to refuse entry for Blitz. He went on to classify Blitz, Buster and Duel as adversaries while Jackie reported, "I've lost Blitz!"

"It activated its Mirage Colloid." Murrue stated, brushing her order to deactivate the automated feature aside now that it seemed sensible to her even though at the back of her mind, she concluded that Alix Whitley was no Barbie royalty. She focused on dealing with Blitz instead. She went through the data of the Gundams a while ago but was unsure if her stratagems against them will work effectively, for the power these machines possessed were unlimited and potentially volatile at the moment.

Alix turned to look at her. The Captain did her homework, and she didn't want to cross the line again. "The beam."

Murrue caught on her hint immediately and was glad for Alix's affirmation. After all, she is the creator. She nodded at Natarle, who took on the cue as well.

"Trigger the anti-beam depth charges!" Murrue ordered. "And ready the anti-air shrapnel warheads!"

Natarle followed. "Fire the anti-beam charges! Switch stern missiles to anti-air shrapnel warheads! Estimate Blitz's position from the angle of its beam shot!"

Alix brows creased deeper when she saw on screen that Blitz got detected by their tactic. Her hands were knotting painfully but she didn't care. Her mind was torn between the pilot of Blitz and the survival of Archangel.

"Anti-air shrapnel warheads to all aim at Blitz." Natarle commanded when she saw that.

She widened her eyes in distress when Natarle snapped her next order. "Fire!"

'_Nicol!'_

**+Destiny Child+**

Alix flashed by his mind the moment he realised the warheads aimed at him. He swerved, quickly deactivated the Mirage Colloid and placed the Phrase Shift back on for shield. He tsked. "I should have known. This used to be yours in the first place, it's no wonder you know its weakness!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Blitz disappeared again.

"Disengage igelstellungs for auto-tracking!" Natarle ordered. "Put up a barrage!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol grunted and made a quick swerve again. It was getting tricky to reach Archangel. From the previous experiences he had with the ship, he realised they had somewhat altered their battle algorithm, and he could only think of one cause for the change._ 'Alix…'_

**+Destiny Child+**

"Crossfire detected close by at approximate 30miles per hour." Archangel reported. "Switch to random evasive manoeuvrability?"

Alix tore her gaze away from Blitz's location at that. Buster and Zero were skirmishing nearby. Strike and Duel were a little far off. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Duel's overly-aggressive moves on Strike. Every move was meant to kill.

"Switch to random evasive manoeuvrability!" Murrue's order came just in time to dodge Buster's beam rifle. Natarle's order came next, realizing Strike's situation. "Aim the Gottfried at Duel, fire!"

Alix looked away at that.

**+Destiny Child+**

Seeing Archangel deploying almost all her arsenals at the three Gundams, Gamof stepped up their pursuit and took advantage to fire at her.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Number 6 sensor array is hit. Temperature rising within laminated armour."

"Number 6 sensor array is hit! Temperature rising within laminated armour!"

Archangel and Jackie reported at the same time. Tremor reverberated across the ship at the assault as Dalida reported further pessimistic information reflected on his screen. He muted Archangel, for he felt stupid to account information at the same time as her. "The armour cooling system can't keep up! Temperature within armour continues to rise!"

"It won't last another 2 hits! Turn bow, 20 degree to starboard!" Murrue commanded, flickering a glance over at Alix. She had gone all quiet after they had detected Blitz. However, from her body language, she knew the princess shared her judgment of their predicament now. Why, she's staring at the thermal detection screen in thoughts. She raised an eyebrow when Alix finally spoke, though only to Arnold. "Where's Blitz now?"

Murrue widened her eyes in revelation. They were so caught up in the crossfire that they totally forgotten about the Blitz! As if on cue, Jackie exclaimed, "Blitz approaching!"

Alix couldn't help but scowl at the red dot symbolizing Blitz on the screen. It blinked nearer by the second. She bit her lips. So this was what Nicol has been waiting for.

"What are Strike and Zero doing?" Natarle snapped.

"They're battling Duel and Buster!" Sai reported.

Natarle took a deep breath. They have too much on their hands.

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak cursed as he clashed swords with Strike. They propelled each other away due to the fiction caused by the collision. He was disgruntled that he underestimated Strike's ability against him. Eleven minutes have passed and they're still battling to nowhere. "You're putting up a good fight huh!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Dearka cursed as he exchanged fire with Zero. They evaded each other further away for each fire exchange. He was disgruntled that he underestimated the Zero's ability against him. For a moment, he wondered if the mobile armour is trying to cause delay. At this rate, EAF's 8th fleet is going to catch up on them. Anyhow, he would rather commit suicide than to be branded as 'the Coordinator pilot who lost to a Natural one'. For God's sake, he is navigating a way better machine than the decade-year-old thing! "You're just a mobile armour, damn it! Get out of my way! Just die already!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Blitz decided to land on top of her bridge. This way, he would dodge her arsenals at the same time crippling the source of her shots. He won't kill them. He decided he would capture the legged ship in one piece. After all, they could use their technology to improve on theirs. Alix flashed by his mind again that instant. He shook his head to clear his mind of her. Yes, it was not because she is _in_ there.

Brushing her aside once again, he raised his beam rifle.

**+Destiny Child+**

Natarle scowled at the handicap when Archangel felt the impact caused by Blitz. "We can't use the cannons! Where's Strike?"

Miriallia hurriedly tried to establish contact with Kira once again seeing their situation has turned extremely grave. She lost him a while ago due to the frenzy. "Kira? Kira! The enemy had come right up on our bridge! Get back here!"

**+Destiny Child+**

"What!" Kira cried out, and hurriedly connected his signal to track Archangel's location. He widened his eyes in shock as he witnessed his mother ship being dealt blow after blow by the enemy. He instinctively recalled the explosion of the ship where Flay's father was in and found himself shivering at the thought that Archangel would suffer the same fate. "Archangel!" Flay's words caught up with him as well. _'It's okay if we are fighting another battle. Everything will be alright. __**Because Kira will protect us**__.'_

As these thoughts swarmed his mind, his DNA reacted. His violet orbs glistened with determination as he unwittingly went into SEED. There was no way he could allow Archangel to end up in the same fate as that ship.

He roared when he saw Duel coming at him again.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Let me try to establish contact with Blitz!"

Miriallia gulped at the statement. Alix came up to her abruptly with this request and at this crucial moment and she couldn't decide. She turned to Natarle instead. The Ensign only managed to open her mouth when Alix snatched over Miriallia's headphone and switchboard to attempt contact.

"Nicol!" Alix cried out. "Nicol, I know you can hear me! There are civilians on this ship! Stop this!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol grimaced at the intrusion of Alix's voice blaring over his radio. _'Civilians….?'_ He gritted his teeth and brushed Alix's appeal aside. Whatever she was saying, he _cannot_ abide. He is a redcoat and redcoats carry out orders efficiently. It was okay even if Alix doesn't understand that. "That's why I'm _only_ shooting the bridge!"

Alix continued to snap, "Archangel's temperature is rising wildly due to the crossfire. At this rate, we're going to explode! Nicol!"

He stared at his screen determinedly with a scowl.

**+Destiny Child+**

Although Alix could see that Nicol had softened his beam shots on their bridge, it was evident that he had refused her. She should have known this anyway and not give in to the hope in her mind that Nicol may be able to budge. Zero and Strike caught her attention then. Running a quick analysis through her mind, she decided Strike was their only chance. Zero was still caught with Buster and even though he may make it back in time to Archangel, Alix wasn't sure if Zero would match up to Blitz. She focused on Strike. Perhaps, Kira have grasped their situation, perhaps Duel have pricked enough out of him, somehow, Alix noticed he was faster now. _Way_ faster. In any case, she should help him. "Kira-kun, get be…" She trailed off, rather surprised that Kira figured out Duel's weakness already.

Was he… really _just_ a student?

**+Destiny Child+**

Yzak gasped, incredulous that Strike dodged his attack in a blink of his eyes. Strike's fighting algorithm had changed in an instant. His incredibility doubled when Strike suddenly dealt him a blow from behind. Fuming at the hard blow, he slashed Strike in return at incredible speed, but Strike swerved away effortlessly, but no way was he going to allow him off easily. "Take this!" He fired a few shots from his rifle beam but Strike evaded at a speed he had never seen before. "What the…" Before he could stop Strike, it steered its way towards Archangel.

**+Destiny Child+**

"Get the hell away from Archangel!" Kira roared, rocketing towards Blitz.

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol was caught off guard at the sudden intrusion of Strike "What the!"

**+Destiny Child+**

Strike bestowed a harsh kick at Blitz, sending him flying off away from Archangel. Duel caught up and tried to take advantage but Strike was faster. He stabbed Duel right into the cockpit, causing it to blow up.

Everyone in Archangel was relieved at the turn of the table, but for Alix, she couldn't decide.

**+Destiny Child+**

Nicol swerved to support Duel from behind. "Yzak! Are you alright? Yzak!" His signal beeped, implying the troops are coming. He had to get Dearka back. "Dearka! Yzak is injured! We have to retreat! The enemy troops are coming!"

"Yzak?" Dearka slammed his switchboard at that. "Damn it!"

They were this close in getting them!

**+Destiny Child+**

When Kira saw the three Gundams retreating, he landed on the bridge of Archangel in relief. He gulped in breath after breath, trying to calm his own senses. He perked up when Mwu came on his radio.

"They left! You were marvellous, kid! No…you're unbelievable!"

Kira sighed, he don't think he could take that as a compliment. "Not really."

**+Destiny Child+**

"The 8th fleet is here!" Jackie reported happily.

As everyone cheered at the turn of events, Murrue wondered what Alix could be thinking. She noticed that the princess averted her gaze from Strike to the retreating Gundams.

There was sorrow and there was relief.


End file.
